Glentoran coach Rodney McAree has warned the Big Two giants that Dungannon Swifts will offer a “different challenge” on their new 4G pitch on Tuesday night.
Over the summer, the Swifts became the fifth Irish League club in recent times - alongside Coleraine, Larne, Crusaders and Cliftonville - to install an artificial surface.
And while Dean Shiels’ men lost 2-0 to Ballymena United on their new synthetic turf at the weekend, McAree is bracing himself for a “very tough game” at Stangmore Park.
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“It’ll be Dungannon’s first game on their new surface under lights and by no means is it going to be an easy game,” he said. “It’ll be a very tough game as all the games in this league are.
“Dungannon also have a brand of football they’ll want to play on the new pitch and I’ve no doubt they’ll believe in themselves on that surface.
“Dean encourages them to play football, pass the ball and the surface will probably suit them, but it’s also a surface we’ll enjoy playing on.”
Glentoran, with four points from their opening two games, head to Stangmore Park on the back of Friday night’s 3-1 win over Crusaders at the BetMcLean Oval.
“We conceded a poor goal to go 1-0 down, but we responded very well,” said former Dungannon and Coleraine boss McAree. “We were competitive and also determined to show a little bit of quality.
“What we do daily in training probably showed a little bit more against Crusaders than it maybe has in other games and that puts a little bit of belief in the players.
“These players are as good if not better than those at other clubs, but they have to believe in their own ability and put the information they are given into practice.
“It’s important we go to Dungannon and try and get another positive result.”
TUESDAY NIGHT GAMES
(All 7.45pm kick-offs)
Ballymena United v Cliftonville
Carrick Rangers v Coleraine
Crusaders v Portadown
Dungannon Swifts v Glentoran.
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