BALLYMENA United entertain bottom side Limavady United at the Warden Street Showgrounds this Saturday, as they look to continue their recent revival.

The Sky Blues go into this game full of confidence after back-to-back wins over Portadown and Armagh City in the last fortnight, and Tommy Wright will be looking to make it three in a row against his former employers.

However, Wright will be under no illusions as to the Braidmen's abysmal record against Limavady United. Ballymena United have only won two of the last 13 meetings between the two sides.

For the last victory over the Roesiders, you have to go back to March 2005 when goals from Gareth Mullan and Albert Watson sealed a 2-1 – ironically against Tommy Wright's Limavady United side. However, Wright has never succeeded in beating his former club; drawing four of the six games since taking the Ballymena job, and losing the other two.

Last season, the two sides met four times – twice in the League and twice in the League Cup. The reverse fixture from season finished in a dour 0-0 draw in March, while the game in the North West last year ended in a 1-1 draw with Randal Reid scoring on his full debut.

Limavady recorded the last win in this fixture in the League Cup last August, winning 2-1, whilst the two sides played out an exciting 3-3 draw in a meaningless group fixture in the same competition last season.

Despite Limavady United's good record in this fixture, they will go into this game as underdogs, as they currently sit bottom of the Carnegie Premier League without a win to their name after seven fixtures.

Former Ballymena United defender, Ollie Mullan, was appointed in the summer after the departure of Paul Kee, and he faced an uphill struggle after the mass exodus of the majority of the squad that had finished in tenth place in the Premier League last season.

Their only two wins from 15 competitive games this season have come against Oxford United Stars (NorthWest Cup) and Donegal Celtic (League Cup) – and their inexperienced side have lost 10 of those fixtures so far going into Saturday's fixture.

Last Friday they were comfortably beaten 3-1 by Newry City, with former Ballymena United Reserves striker, Matt Boyd scoring a consolation goal.

In team news, Mark Picking will definitely miss Saturday's game after picking up a calf muscle injury in the win over Armagh City. Former Limavady midfielder, Stephen Lowry, is likely to be a direct replacement for Picking after his winning goal last Saturday.

Johnny Flynn and David Cushley return from Northern Ireland Under-19 duty in Cyprus, Stuart King also should be fit – however, Wright is expected to stick by the side that were triumphant in Mid-Ulster.

Key Player

Broughshane-based striker Matt Boyd is currently leading the scoring at the Limavady Showgrounds with five strikes to his name for the struggling Roesiders. Boyd, was a key figure in Ballymena United's League winning Reserve side last term pitching in with a numerous of key goals. He spent only the one season at his hometown club, after he had signed from Raceview - Ollie Mullan then signed the forward to lead his line in the Premier League.