'Mouth-watering task against Glens' - Higgins
Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins and his Glentoran counterpart Declan Devine are both expecting a tight game on Friday
- Published
While acknowledging Friday's home assignment against Glentoran is "mouth-watering", Coleraine manager Ruaidhri Higgins says they will approach the game like any other (19:45 BST, live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website).
It is a meeting of the Irish Premiership's last remaining unbeaten teams with the Glens holding a slender one-point lead over Friday's opposition and Larne at the top of the table. Coleraine are just below the Invermen on goal difference, but have a game in hand on the league leaders.
Both clubs have made a good start to the new season and although the opportunity to go top with a win on Friday would be welcome, Higgins insists this stage of a campaign is just about banking points.
"I'd imagine it will be a massive crowd at the Showgrounds on Friday night with the lights on," he told BBC Sport NI after Saturday's 4-1 win at Portadown.
"It's mouth-watering, but we will prepare for it the way we prepare for any game and make sure the lads are ready.
"We want to win the game and get as many points on the board as soon as possible. It's another three points on offer and we are coming up against a good team. May the best team win."
Glentoran's previous outing was last week's 1-1 draw against Linfield at the Oval and manager Declan Devine has urged his players to seek improvements as the season progresses.
The Glens' boss will have Christie Pattisson available for the first time this season, having served a nine-game suspension from the the post-match brawl against Larne on the final day of the last campaign.
"We're just trying to go game by game," Devine said after the 'Big Two' derby.
"We have players to come back. That's the end of Christie Pattisson's suspension, Dylan (Connolly) will be back in another three or four games, Joe Thomson.
"We need to make sure we prepare really well and strive to get better, week by week. We've a tough game now and will get ready to go to Coleraine."