DEALING with the pressure of a favourites tag is a challenge that Bangor manager Lee Feeney is wary of as his side look to make it six league wins in a row this Saturday.
The Seasiders head to County Fermanagh to face Ballinamallard United (3pm) with Feeney’s side sitting top of the Championship.
But the Bangor boss is not getting carried away or distracted by any external noises as he prepares for a trip to Ferney Park which will complete the first round of fixtures in the division.
“The biggest challenge we face this season compared to last is the pressure, we are now expected to win every game,” admitted the 45 year old.
“We’re going into games as favourites in a lot of people’s eyes and we can do nothing about that, we just have to deal with that added pressure.
“Every week you get shock results in the league and it’s as competitive as ever. There are a lot of teams clustered together in the table which shows how evenly matched the league is.
“There is a long, long way to go yet,” continued Feeney.
“We have another two rounds of fixtures before the league splits. We’ll never stop learning about ourselves and other teams, and we know that you can take nothing for granted in the Championship at all.”
The Mallards, managed by former Linfield defender Mark Stafford, have had a mixed start to the season as they find themselves two points above bottom side Newington in a congested league table.
Last weekend they lost out to a late penalty against Annagh United, while home defeats to Armagh City and Institute sandwiched an impressive victory on the road against Limavady United in recent weeks.
Bangor, who recorded two victories at Feeney Park last season, are likely to be without Ben Cushnie and Scott McArthur for this one who continue to recover from injury, while Reece Neale limped off early last week with an ankle issue.
