Match against Linfield will be 'brilliant for our football club' says Newry City boss Stuart King

Newry City face a mammoth task this evening, as they host Premiership giants Linfield in the Bet McLean League Cup. However, manager Stuart King says that it will give his players ‘a boost’ going up against top quality opposition.

King spoke to us following his side’s 4-3 win over Dollingstown on Friday night, and joked that if his side defends tonight as they did on that occasion, Linfield won’t have much to worry about. However, he’s hopeful that the supporters come out in their numbers and make it a memorable night at The Showgrounds.

“I'm sure if David [Healy] was watching that, he'll not be fearful of us,” said King.

“Hopefully there's a big crowd, because the lads deserve massive praise. It's brilliant for our football club to have the biggest club in the country, in my opinion, coming here.

“It's a wee bit of a boost for my lads to go and play against them.”

Newry’s run in the Bet McLean League Cup has been very impressive to this point, as they’ve already knocked out two Premiership clubs, Portadown and Glenavon.

Although Linfield – who are the reigning Sports Direct Premiership champions – will of course be another step up in terms of quality, having home advantage and the knowledge that they can defeat top flight teams will allow the Newry City players to enjoy the occasion.

“That's what it's about. It's about enjoyment,” said King on Friday night.

“We’ll recover over the weekend, then we're in Monday night, and hopefully we can do a good job on Tuesday night.”