Kris Lindsay is looking to make impact at Dungannon Swifts

For a year and half Lindsay served as first team coach at the Lurgan Blues and with his help Gary Hamilton’s team top the league standings before tomorrow’s encounter.

But now he has taken over the reins at 11th placed Dungannon and Lindsay says he has aspirations to get the Swifts into the top six in the near future.

“I want us to win back to back matches - we won the other night against Crusaders - so we want to win back to back games and then win another one and then another one.

“At the minute we are five points off Cliftonville in sixth place so we have to target that.

“Because at the end of the day you want to be finishing in the top six.

“You want to be playing big games at the end of the season and you also want to be making the play-offs so you give yourself that chance of European qualification. We all know that being in European competition is the main thing in the Irish league.

“If you qualify for Europe, it sets you up and to do that you have to finish in the top six - so that has to be our first aim.

“And I can’t see any reason why we can’t do that. The aim is to consistently finish in that top six, consistently be in the play-offs and consistently be in with a chance to qualify for Europe.

“We will look to progress and progress year on year and that is how you build clubs and that is how you build success.

“We will be looking to make gradual steps.”

Lindsay says he enjoyed his time at tomorrow’s opponents Glenavon but it was time to move on.

“Was it sad? Yes and no. I was at Glenavon seven years as a player and a coach. We had some good times and successes.

“They are flying at the minute. The are top of league, they are scoring loads of goals and they are playing really well.

“So in that sense it was tough to leave but I wanted to manage.

“I want to get into the world of management and I want to be the one that makes the decisions and calls the shots.

“I will live and die by those decisions but you don’t let these kind of opportunities pass you by,” said Lindsay.

Lindsay admits he is looking forward to taking his Swifts to his old club tomorrow afternoon where he will lock horns with Lurgan Blues manager Gary Hamilton.

“Football has a funny way of throwing up twists like that. But at the end of the day I am now the Dungannon manger and I will be going there to get the three points.

“I will speak to all the people there but for the 90 minutes on the pitch my sole focus will be on Dungannon Swifts and picking up a positive result at Mourneview.”

And Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton wished Lindsay well in his new adventure but does not want the Swifts to give Lindsay the perfect start by beating his men at Mourneview Park.

“We’re just hoping that on Saturday he doesn’t come back to haunt us,” said Hamilton.

“What ever happens, Kris will always be somebody I think very highly of and somebody that I wish well and there’s no reason to doubt why he can’t be a successful manager, as he was a player. This is the kind of fixture that football throws up and Kris being the professional that he is told us about his talks with Dungannon,” added Hamilton.