Adam Craig: 'Our job is to stay at the top-of-the-table' as Ballynahinch host Clontarf in the All Ireland League

Adam Craig’s side have a four-point cushion at the top-of-the-table after six wins and a defeat from their opening seven games, while the Dubliners are six points behind the Ballymacarn Park club.

Getting to the top-of-the-table is difficult and Craig knows it will be even harder to stay there.

“We have a couple of big games coming up. Clontarf and Terenure are two teams that have been top of the league for a long time, we’re there now and it’s their job to knock us off the perch and it is our job to stay there,” he stated.

“The culture of the club is fantastic at the minute and the lads are really buying into what we are trying to do and making sure that they are giving their all for 80 minutes.

“We didn’t perform to our best against UCD but we managed to find a way. There was a big belief in the group at 79 minutes regardless of the scoreline that we were going to make sure we got over the line and get the win.

“The standard of the squad this year is fantastic and some of the lads like Bradley (Luney) and Besty (Mark Best) are doing really well at leading and taking up that mantle that we are trying to build with the players.

“The leadership group has worked really well this year and more guys are buying into that. George Pringle and Clayton Milligan have been two that have really been hammering standards which have been brilliant."

Craig is aware of the threat Clontarf will pose in what is set to be challenging weather conditions.

He added: “We don’t have a great success rate against Clontarf so we are hoping to turn that over. The last time we won against them was at home on a stormy day when the first XV posts blew down and we beat them on the seconds’ pitch.

“We are pretty excited at the proposition of getting them at home on another stormy day and turning them over.

“Clontarf are a very physical side and very set piece dominant and that is an area of the game that hopefully we are going to pride ourselves on and take that away from them.

“We have really challenged our discipline this week and we don’t want to allow them any soft entries. It is a long season and the next game won’t define where we end up but it is certainly something we’ll chase.”

Byrn Ward returns from injury while Rueben Crothers is also in the squad.

It’s second against third in Division 2A as Instonians travel to Cashel.

Paul Pritchard’s side are level with leaders Corinthians but the Galway side have a better points difference, while Cashel are a solidarity point behind.

Inst travel to Tipperary without influential full-back Bradley McNamara as Hugo Ellerby deputises.

The Shaw’s Bridge side are also without Glen Faloon, Andy McGrath, Mark Mairs, Anton Lupari and Schalke van der Merwe.

No8 David Whitten captains the team and is joined in the starting line-up by his brothers Robert and Ian.

Banbridge host the leaders while Ballymena entertain Greystones.

In 2B there is an Ulster derby at Gibson Park as Malone face Rainey, Clogher Valley are home to Skerries and Dungannon travel to UL Bohs.

In the fifth tier Ballyclare face Monkstown, Belfast Harlequins are at Tullamore, Omagh travel to Bruff.