Queen’s captain David Whitten eager to build on winning momentum

The students go to Eaton Park for a clash with Ulster rivals Ballymena and Queen’s captain David Whitten, who lifted the Senior Cup in May, wants to finish the calendar year on a high.

“It is obviously nice to beat Cashel – I had never done it before,” Whitten said.

"We had said during the week it was a chance to add to the history of Queen’s a bit by being able to beat Cashel at home.

“The boys rose to the occasion to be fair, and it was a pretty happy changing room. I think with the loses and the results that have gone before I think it has actually helped us to be more open and put things in place.

“We are just not carrying on from last season, we have different players in different positions and it has taken us a wee while to get that into our heads, and it has taken us a wee while to start progressing,” he added.

“I think now we are getting the hang of it and hopefully this is the start of us starting to build something again and getting back into a bit of form.”

Queen’s dominated 2A last season but with no automatic promotion they lost the playoff final to Buccaneers.

“Last year we were so successful and so good as a team. We had so much depth through it and I think this year with losing a few of those guys we are a bit more stretched especially with injuries,” Whitten said.

“The guys we have brought in are really good players, but it has just taken them that wee bit of time to get used to what Queen’s do.

“The team last year, we had been together for such a long time and it was quite easy to keep that level of performance throughout the year.

“I think this year with the new guys it has taken us a wee bit to get going, but hopefully we can do the normal Queen’s thing – build after Christmas, get on the rise and keep building until the weather gets good again and in our favour.”

Ballymena are five places and 11 points behind Queen’s, but Whitten knows that means nothing in a derby.

“It’s a tough place to go, Ballymena are very good at home,” he said.

"I’m expecting a big crowd and it will be a good atmosphere for us to get stuck into.

“Their home form has been good this year and we have to expect a response, and they will come gunning for us like a lot of teams have this year.

“We have to get the best preparation and get into the right mindset to try and get a result.

“I think it is important we have that internal focus on ourselves to keep improving, keep putting things in place like we have been over the last few weeks.”

In Division 2B Belfast Harlequins host Malahide, while there is an Ulster derby at Hatrick Park as Rainey welcome Dungannon.

Division 2C leaders Instonians travel to Omagh and Bangor visit Skerries.