Buncrana manager Malachy McCann is ‘confident’ ahead of Saturday’s game against Naomh Bríd in Buncrana – where the Inishowen side needs a victory by at least seven points to see them clinch promoted to Division Two next season.
Buncrana are currently sitting second on 25 points, with Naomh Bríd hot on their heels with 23 points and two games in hand.
A convincing victory for McCann’s outfit is essential this weekend – especially if the club has any promotion aspirations, after getting relegated last year in disappointing fashion.
The North Donegal side will already know what they are in for, having suffered a 0-9 to 0-3 defeat to the South Donegal side in April, however, McCann is convinced Buncrana won’t suffer the same fate.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” McCann said. “We’ve played them before and they beat us by six points, but I think on Saturday night it is going to be a different game.
“I have been happy with our preparations, we know that it is going to be a hard game but, I’d be fairly confident at the same time – they are a good side.
“The first time we went down there, we were missing a lot of players and a lot of those key players will be back for this game.
“I think the lads are ready for Saturday and I believe that they will do enough to push us over the line,” he said.
The Buncrana manager was coy when it came to promotion talk, insisting his side had to show the same attitude that has been applied in recent weeks.
“Not really, not really, we have to win by seven or eight points to get the promotion,” McCann added. “But they are a great bunch of lads and they know what they can do.
“Them boys know themselves that it is going to be a big push and we could all see this coming.
“With around three or four games to go, we knew that it was a good possibility that we’d be level with Killybegs and Naomh Bríd but, we were also led to believe it was going to come down to a playoff.
“It was only at the start of last week that we found out that it was going to go down to points difference – so it makes the game that much harder.
“Getting a one off result is one thing, we thought we could go out here on Saturday and get a result but, having to win a game by seven or eight points makes it so much harder – I have confidence that we can do it.”
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