By Harry Walsh
FINN Harps manager Ollie Horgan remains hopeful that he’ll have a second goalkeeper signed in the coming days.
It follows the news on Friday that Ciaran Gallagher, Harps regular net minder last season, has signed for North West rivals Derry City.
Horgan had offered Gallagher a new contract to stay at Finn Park but he chose to link up with Roddy Collins at the Brandywell.
“I spoke to Ciaran two weeks ago and he made me aware that another club were interested in him. I didn’t know who that club was but I made my case as best I could to entice him to stay.
“However, he rang me on Friday and said that he was moving on. I appreciated the call. He thanked me and wished both me and the club all the best for the coming season.
“I think he just wanted to move on. We left on good terms and, depending on how things work out, who knows we might see him back at Finn Park in the future,” Horgan said.
That leaves young Shaun Patton as the only ‘keeper currently on Harps’ books.
“Shaun’s a decent young ‘keeper but we need a second one. I’ve spoken to one or two but they’ve to get back to me. It would be nice to get it sorted before Christmas but we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.
One of those is former Harps ‘keeper Gavin Cullen who currently plies his trade with Ulster Senior League champions Cockhill Celtic.
“I’ve spoken to Gavin and he’s thinking about it. He’s made no final decision either way yet,” he said.
With pre-season training starting on Monday, January 13, and the league proper not kicking off until early March Horgan insisted that time was still very much on his side.
“I’ve signed eleven players to date and will add ten or eleven more in the coming weeks depending on how things work out at pre-season training. I’ve invited a number of players to attend – most of them Intermediate players – and the ball will be firmly in their court. If they play well they’ll be offered the chance to play League of Ireland football,” he said.
Horgan’s backroom team has also to be decided.
“It’s a bit like the goalkeeper situation only that I don’t think it will be sorted before Christmas. I’ve got two people in mind but nothing has been decided just yet,” he said.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)