HORNER JUST HAPPY TO BE CLEAR OF DROP

TUCKER HORNER insists title talk is premature despite Ballysillan Swifts’ unbeaten record in the league.

The north Belfast side were toppled at the top of Division 2B on Saturday as they sat the weekend out, allowing Aquinas, comfortable 4-0 winners against Portavogie Rangers, to leapfrog them into top spot.

With exactly half of their league programme still to come, there are some 30 points out there to be won and lost and Horner is sensibly remaining coy about his team’s prospects.

But after only climbing up into the division last May following promotion in their maiden campaign in the Amateur League, and having dropped just four points in the league all season, he admits his team are exceeding expectations.

“We’re doing rightly, the main aim this year was to stay in the league and be competitive which is what we are doing,” he said.

“We had a joke last week, I said two more wins keeps us up, that guarantees we won’t go down again so I can have no complaints so far, the main thing is the boys keep their focus and don’t get carried away.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time. There are a lot of teams there, the likes of Shankill and Ardoyne who still have the games in hand.

“So until they play those games we won’t know too much about our league position. We’re only halfway through our league games but what we are finding out is that no two league games are the same in that league, it’s a very tough league, we haven’t had an easy game yet.

“Even the teams down around the bottom, what they lack in ability they make up for in fight and spirit.

“But I would say there are four or five teams there you couldn’t dismiss for promotion.

“You can’t write Lower Shankill off, they are a smashing side and obviously they came up last year as champions but Bangor Rangers are there as well, so are Ardoyne and Aquinas are a very good side.”

Next up for the Swifts is a Cochrane Corry Cup quarter-final away to their old foes from last year’s promotion-winning campaign in 2C, Castlewellan Town.

The Belfast men completed the league double over the Mourne outfit last season, but Horner is expecting a tough tie against a team bang in form and in the midst of a 10-game unbeaten run in the league.

“We’re looking forward to the game, I always see cups as a bonus and every game you go in to you want to win,” added Horner (right).

“The quarter-final will no doubt be a really tough game, Castlewellan are doing really well this season.

“We had two tough games against them last season, they are a very fit side and try and play the game the right way. So we are under no illusions going into the game.”