Sweeney returns for Comrades test

The Comrades, like 'Stute, had a hard fought 3-2 win themselves over Ballinmallard at the weekend and Gregg believes that result will help the visitors.

"Like ourselves Ballyclare had a 3-2 win and whenever you win a close and high scoring match like that your players confidence rockets sky high and I assume that is what happened to the Ballyclare boys," he said.

"They are sitting just above us on goal difference, so we know if we win and results go our way, then we could jump into fourth spot, but I know we are going to get a tough game, because at the end of the day you never get an easy game in the Championship.

"Ballyclare striker Mark McClelland has scored five goals already this season, while midfielder Andrew Simms has also scored twice this year, in fact both of them scored last weekend, so like the rest of the squad they too are going to be in a confident mood."

The Drumahoe men have impressively won three matches on the bounce - two in the league and one in the Co-operative Insurance Cup - and the Coleraine man wants to keep that mini-run going.

"Winning is a habit and at the minute we are in that good habit, but we know that we are nowhere near the finished article, we have to keep working hard for each other not just week in, week out but also at training.

"And the players who aren't in the starting line-up at the minute I want them to start working even harder particularly at training, so that they show me something that will make me change my starting line-up."

Gregg also praised experienced winger Ryan Semple, who in the last few weeks has had to fill in at right-back.

"Semps was our best player on Saturday and he was playing at right back, in fact I want my younger players to take a leaf out of his book, because at the minute he's a credit to the football club.

"Everyone knows he's not a right-back, he's a winger, but he hasn't moaned once and has just got on with it."

The Waterside out-fit should welcome back Vinny Sweeney from suspension and Darren King from work commitments, but Thomas Wray remains on the treatment table and David McClements has left the club.