Home debut for Deery and new-look ‘Stute

Kevin Deery will take charge of his first game at the Riverside Stadium this afternoon as Institute attempt to get off to a winning start at home to Annagh United (kick-off 3.00pm).

An unfortunate scheduling clash meant that Deery (pictured) was unavailable for ‘Stute’s first league game at H&W Welders last weekend, the Creggan man on holiday with his family in Europe, leaving assistant manager Paddy McLaughlin to oversee a 3-0 defeat in the opening game in the IFA Championship One in Belfast..

With a number of new players also not registered in time, last Saturday’s game at Welders was something of a disaster for ‘Stute, who are already playing catch up.

But with Derry now in charge, and newly-signed players also available, it is very much a clean slate for the Drumahoe team, who are hoping to use this afternoon’s game as a springboard for the new season.

Former Derry City captain Deery is eager to see his new charges in competitive action.

“When I heard the score line against Welders I feared that we might have been a mile off it but by all accounts it was a fluke result and five or six minutes of madness cost them at least a point,” he said.

“When people are looking in from the outside and they see a 3-0 score line they’ll think it hasn’t started well but I saw positive enough signs myself in pre-season.”

Deery, who enjoyed managerial success last season with intermediate side Trojans, accepted preparation “wasn’t great” in the run-up to the Welders tie.

He said: “There were a few issues with getting clearance for players,

“There were a few on holidays and I was on holidays so obviously preparation wasn’t great, but I take full responsibility.

“You have to prepare well for games and it was just unfortunate that I had the holiday booked for over a year before I took the job.

“I volunteered to come back a week early but they were against it, saying time with my family was as important as anything.”

Annagh come to the Riverside Stadium buoyant after recording a win over Armagh City on their Championship One debut last week.