Posted online: Apr 9th, 2008

By Gary Ferry
info@inishtimes.com

A game against league giants Redcastle is the last thing you need when your premier division status is in jeopardy, but Cockhill must somehow find a way of beating the champions or face relegation.
Shaun McClean’s side will travel to Foyle Park next Tuesday knowing they need to cause the upset of the season to give themselves hope of survival. Three points would guarantee safety in the Jackie Crossan Premier, but their manager knows the odds of that happening are slim to say the least.
He told Inish Times Sport: “Redcastle are a very good side and their record speaks for itself, so it will be a big test for us,”
“We’ll give it everything. It will be a tall order but we’ll see how it goes. It was always going to be hard for us this year. If we manage to stay up it would be great, but if we go down it wouldn’t be a disaster.
“The players have gotten a lot of experience from this year and that will help them.”
With relegation looming after only one year at the top, McClean has a crystal clear memory of games that have ultimately cost his side, including the recent defeat to Moville.
But, accepting of his team’s fate, he believes there are still some positives to be taken from the season.
He said: “It was always going to be very hard for us this year, especially as we have an Ulster Senior League team.
“We’re basically the second string playing against Premier opposition, so we were punching above our weight.
“But in saying that, we have done well in some games and have played good football, so let’s see what Tuesday brings.”
* Redcastle v Cockhill, Jackie Crossan Premier Division,Tuesday, kick off 6.30pm