Having played in some of the Irish League's biggest derbies, experienced Championship defender relishing first taste of North Down rivalry

The 33-year-old joined Lee Feeney’s side from Ballyclare Comrades in January and has started in each of their last three Championship games, helping extend an impressive unbeaten league run to 10 matches last time out when Beverland netted a 95th minute equaliser away to Dergview.

They enter tonight’s showdown at Clandeboye Park sitting fourth in the standings, but victory tonight would propel them to the top above Institute, Portadown and Dundela, who are all in action on Saturday.

While Bangor are in superb form, Ards’ only win in their last 11 outings came with a shock Irish Cup penalty shoot-out victory over top-flight Crusaders, but under new management with John Bailie returning to the helm in recent weeks, Beverland isn’t taking anything for granted.

"I was thinking about it this week that I've played for Coleraine against Ballymena, Crusaders against Cliftonville, Portadown vs Glenavon and now a North Down derby too,” he said. “They are good games, big occasions for the fans and they'll no doubt turn out in their numbers for both teams.

"It's a case of managing the game and occasion. Ards will be a different animal to what they've been for large parts of the season under new management with some new players. We'll turn up, enforce our game and do what we've been doing.

"Lee very much frees us up to play football and even against Portadown on Saturday on a difficult enough pitch we tried to play out from the back. We'll try and do the same and play to our strengths. We want to play with that game plan."

It’s an exciting time for all associated with Bangor – both on and off the field – as the board are in talks with a North American business group, who attended December’s 4-1 victory over Knockbreda, about potential investment.

Having not played in the Premiership since 2008/09, Beverland is determined to help get Bangor back to where he feels a club of their size and potential belongs.

"I really love the big matches,” he added. “That was a big thing with Bangor with where they are in the league and their aspirations.

"Bangor has always been a big club...I remember playing against them in the Premiership when they were managed by Marty Quinn, who was also my manager at Coleraine when I started out.

"They've gone through difficult times but the club and Lee are building it back to where a club like Bangor should be. There was a big incentive to come and be part of that and there are lots of good players in the team.

"We're in the mix and that's all you want as a player. The Dundela game the other week had a great attendance and you could feel the tension of how important the game was for both clubs that night. Those are the games you want to play in, the ones I enjoy and I've been used to playing in for large parts of my career.

"The attendance in the game against Ards earlier in the season was around 1,400...that's a big crowd and for players that can be unnerving, so it's about bringing that bit of calmness that we do ourselves justice in those games."