Coleraine head coach Ruaidhri Higgins claims Bangor boss Lee Feeney is the Sports Direct Premiership manager of the year to date as the two teams prepare to meet at the Showgrounds on Friday night.
The north Down club sits just outside the top six following their return to the top flight.
They have picked up some notable scalps along the way – not least the Bannsiders – who lost 2-1 at Clandeboye Park back earlier in the season.
“If you were giving out a manager of the year award right now, it’s Lee Feeney, without a shadow of a doubt,” Higgins said in his weekly press conference.
“Bangor have been outstanding and he’s set a team up that suits the players that he has.
“They’re very, very difficult to play against and we’re very aware of their strengths.
“You look at the results they’ve got – they beat Cliftonville earlier in the season, they beat us, they drew with Glentoran, they drew away at Larne.
“They went to Mourneview last week and won so they’re a very, very capable team.
“They’re doing great work there, so credit to them, but we have a job to do to try and take the three points.
“They’ll get our full respect but we’ve got to try and approach the game to try and get the three points,” he added.
The hosts go into the game on the back of a hard-earned 3-1 home win over Crusaders while their opponents ended a seven game winless run with victory at Glenavon the same weekend.
Ben Arthurs scored twice in the victory at Mourneview Park, brining his total for the season to eight goals.
He also scored in the home win over Coleraine at the start of October and is looking forward to his trip to the north coast.
“Yeah, I think they might be a different animal at home but, look, we’ve shown we can beat them,” the striker told Bangor FC website.
“You know, not to be cocky or arrogant or anything, they’re obviously up near the top of the table, but we have beat them over 90 minutes.
“So, I think we’ll go up there and we’ll just do our usual – we’ll prepare and we’ll be ready to play the game, and however it goes, it goes.
“But as long as everyone in the squad is ready to work hard and do our best for the shirt, that’s all we can really ask for,” he added.
Friday night is a first league meeting of the clubs at the Showgrounds since a 3-1 home victory in February 2009 – Darren Boyce, Kyle McVey and Gareth Tommons the goalscorers that day for the home side.
Elsewhere tonight, Larne host Glentoran in a game which could have a big bearing on positions at the top of the table.
