BY MATTHEW WILSON
CAPPRY Rovers manager Jamie Doherty is expecting a tight battle when his side host Swilly Rovers on Sunday as the Temple Domestic Appliances Division One season restarts.
The Cappry men have enjoyed a positive start to the campaign, sitting joint top of the league while having a game in-hand on fellow table toppers Kerrykeel ‘71.
Following a year at the Finn Valley Centre due to renovations at their own ground, Cappry Rovers are back on home soil at Cappry Park and it’s proving to be a fortress for them, winning all four of their matches there so far.
Doherty expressed that they’re pleased with how things have played out to date, with him explaining that the main objective was to not be involved in a relegation scrap again this term.
“We’re definitely pleased. Our main aim this year was to make sure that we didn’t finish up where we were last year, in the relegation play-off.
“Things have gone well and I keep saying this too, we’re back playing in our own place in Cappry. Not that there was anything wrong with the Finn Valley but it’s just not home. It’s great to be back on your own pitch again.”
The Cappry Park outfit have been proving effective at both ends of the pitch to date this term, possessing the fourth best scoring record so far while also conceding the second fewest amount of goals at the other end.
They held a similar position in terms of goals conceded last season although speaking to the Donegal News, Doherty discussed that the lack of goals scored last season was an issue for the side.
They’ve managed to rectify this problem this season, with a whole host of players now carrying a threat in front of goal and contributing to the side’s decent record which the Cappry Rovers manager is pleased about.
“Yeah, I looked at the end of last year’s table. We were good enough defensively then too, I think it was the third or fourth best defensive record last year in the league but goals killed us last year, we didn’t score half enough goals.
“This year we have a lot of goals in the team so we’re happy with that. Conor McDaid and Reece Coyle have chipped in with a few, Paddy McNulty and boys like that are still getting goals so it’s a good help.
“Barry McGee signed from Ballybofey and he carries a good goal threat for us, if he’s not scoring then he’s setting them up. We’re just carrying a better goal threat at the minute.”
“You can score all of the goals you want but if you’re letting in as many at the other end then it’s no good either. Aaron Kelly has been back in this last number of years and he’s a massive boost for us.”
Following the Christmas break, the Division One season restarts this Sunday and Cappry Rovers will welcome Swilly Rovers to Cappry Park.
It will be Jamie Doherty’s outfit’s first league outing in quite some time, with their last contest taking place on 16 November when they defeated Ballybofey United 4-2.
Cappry Rovers have already faced Ben Reuven’s side this term, sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Swilly Park back in October.
It was a finely poised encounter on that occasion and the Cappry Rovers boss is expecting much of the same this Sunday when they meet again.
“It’ll be a tight game. Swilly Rovers gave us all that we wanted down in Swilly to be fair to them, they’re not a bad side. They’ve decent players and good players too so it’ll be a good game again.
“We scored late to get a draw that day and a draw was probably a fair result on the day. I was impressed with Swilly that day, they didn’t do a lot wrong. I think they’re in a false position there, I think they will come up the table fairly quickly.”
The Cappry Park residents have been motoring well in Division One so far and they’ll be looking to keep things going with a positive result this weekend.
With the lengthy gap since their last competitive outing, they’ll be seeking to regain their momentum heading into the second half of the season, with Doherty expressing that momentum is a key trait to possess in what he describes as a competitive league.
“We will yeah. You’re at home as well and you’re always looking to get results in your home games anyway. We’ve been very good at home so far this year so hopefully that record will keep going.
“It’s all about getting that momentum. We’d great momentum going and in that league momentum is a big thing. You could lose two or three as quickly as you could win two or three in that league, it’s all about getting a run together.
“There’s not a whole lot between a lot of teams in that division. It was the same last year, it’s a very competitive division and a good one to be involved in.”
