Parky set for big league run-in

Having missed the last two matches through suspension, the big striker believes it’s another must win game after they suffered defeat at fellow promotion hopefuls Bangor last weekend.

In fact Parkhouse believes he and his team-mates owe it not just to the club, but to themselves to put in a big display at the Riada Stadium.

“We have let ourselves down too many times over the last probably two months, which has been disappointing,” admitted Parkhouse.

“Before that we were doing alright, we have been controlling a lot of games and maybe not getting ahead and then ending up conceding a goal whenever we probably didn’t deserve to but over the course of the season you’ll end up with what you deserve.

“So hopefully we can push on a bit now and finish the season as strong as we can and see where that will take us.”

The Waterside man is also hoping to get back amongst the goals and help the likes of Mark Kelly, Davitt Walsh and Joe McCready, who have also all failed to really get into a goalscoring run.

“Every striker or strikers go through a dry spell,” said the ex-Derry City front man.

“I feel we maybe need something a wee bit different and we have spoken about this as a team, maybe a player who can get in behind defences to hurt them, but hopefully if we get a few chances, then I always feel confident that I’ll score.

“I would like to have scored and created more chances myself but it just hasn’t been over the past eight weeks, which has been disappointing personally, because I would have liked to have helped out more.

“All you can do is look to the next game and try to score and try to create chances for my team-mates.”

Despite this weekend’s opponents sitting just two points above bottom side Banbridge Town, Parkhouse isn’t taking anything for granted and is expecting a tough game.

“We went through a wee spell just before Christmas, where teams were maybe bullying us out of the game and we didn’t seem to know how to deal with it, I feel we have turned the corner as far as that is concerned, we don’t seem as soft a touch as we were.

“Our problem now seems to be that we can’t put the ball in the back of the net and then seeing out games, that’s what we need to improve on.

“As far as the Glebe game is concerned we just have to try and win the game.”

Last weekend’s defeat at Bangor now sees the Drumahoe club trailing second placed Newry City by five points and Pat McGibbon’s side also have two games in hand, so if promotion is out of the question another cup success would be nice.

’Stute face Ards Rangers in the quarter-finals of the Coca/Cola Intermediate Cup next month and the Gobnascale man believes another cup run would be nice.

“We have spoken about this in the dressing room, that whenever you start off in the Intermediate Cup, it can be a bit of a headache, because you are playing teams who are well below you and players who are carrying niggling injuries and could be doing with a rest are playing, but as you progress further on in the tournament, like any tournament you want to win it and I don’t think we are any different.

“It would be nice to keep our focus on something outside the league, rather than worrying about the league and where we are going to finish up; we have done well in the other wee cup competitions this year, so hopefully that can continue.”