Ruaidhri Higgins expecting totally different game as Coleraine and Crusaders are set to do it all over again
After ousting Crusaders in the Irish Cup last weekend, Coleraine boss Ruaidhri Higgins is expecting a “completely different kettle of fish” as the two teams do it all again in Premiership duty on Saturday.
The Bannsiders reached the sixth-round of the Irish Cup last weekend after scoring four second half goals to beat Crusaders, who were in the tie until Brendan Hamilton received his marching orders for two bookable offences.
Goals thereafter from Mark Connolly, Will Patching, James Akintunde and Joel Cooper sent Coleraine through to face Carrick Rangers in the next round.
Irish Cup is swapped for Premiership duty this time around and Higgins said that he will warn his players against “complacency” as Crusaders make their way up to Ballycastle Road for a second successive weekend.
“We haven't done anything as a team to disrespect anyone and we certainly won't disrespect Crusaders,” he said.
“If you look at their last league game, they beat Dungannon who were one of the in-form teams in the league at that point.
“Crusaders have smashing players…at 0-0 I think we were the team in the ascendancy but the sending off definitely had a big impact on the game.
“They had to try and come out a small bit after we scored so we were able to open them up.
“This is going to be a completely different kettle of fish and there will no complacency from us.
“We'll give them the utmost respect as they deserve and we'll do everything to try and win the game.”
Crusaders have announced that former goalkeeper Sean O’Neill has returned to the club as first-team coach to work under Declan Caddell.
The news came just days after O’Neill played his last game in Irish League football for Ballymena United.
Caddell and O’Neill enjoyed a trophy-laden spell as team-mates at Crusaders and Higgins remarked how the pair will be striving to do that yet again.
“There’s a lot of history there as they enjoyed a lot of success together as players and I'm sure they would like to achieve similar in a coaching capacity,” he explained.
“But it'll be about the 22 players on the pitch. If we can approach the game properly and we play in the way we want to play and we play how we've trained this week then we give ourselves a good chance.
“But we have to go and deliver...you can talk all you want but you've got to go and deliver.
“It's about pouring everything out on the pitch to try and pick up three points for this football club every time we go on the pitch.
“I feel we now have a group that can potentially win in different ways.”
Coleraine were beaten by Larne in their last Premiership outing and Higgins believes the Inver Reds already have one hand on the Gibson Cup.
He stated: “Larne are in an absolutely brilliant position, fair play to them.
"Their points tally in through the roof, so credit to them.
"You have to say they have one hand on the trophy but, also, football's a funny old game.
“We just need to focus on ourselves...we have a few games now at home and we need to try and put points on the board and that's the agenda.”