BY RYAN FERRY

MARTIN McGinley is enthusiastic about the challenge of managing Kilmacrennan Celtic and is hoping to get silverware on board with the Brian McCormick Cup Gweedore Area Shield this Sunday.

McGinley has been busy over the summer months getting his side organised, and he explained why he was attracted to the role.

“I’m a former player with the club and they have asked me to do this job a couple of times in the past and I have always batted it away.

“I thought when I was asked this time after Gerard McGranaghan stepped down, I thought if I don’t do it now, I probably will never do it.

“I threw my hat in the ring and I’m there for the season anyway.

“So far, it’s full-on but it’s enjoyable. It takes up a lot of your time but I knew that before I took over the job.

“I’m ably assisted by Darren Toland. It’s very important to get a good assistant in before you commit to the job and that’s what I did first of all.

“There’s a nucleus of a very good squad from last season that we inherited from the previous manager Gerard. I’ve just added six players to what was a strong squad already.

“We did a good pre-season with a lot of decent matches for us. We played Strabane, Letterkenny Rovers, Aileach, and we were in the Rathmullan Cup.

“Our pre-season kind of culminated then in August when we played Finn Harps and that opened our new pitch down in Kilmacrennan.

“That was a really proud day for the club.

“The local development group and the Kilmacrennan Celtic FC committee put in years of work to get it to that stage and it’s a credit to everyone to have such a brilliant facility.

“We have an astroturf to train on and a brand new pitch to play on. It’s like a billiards table.

“There are plans now to build a clubhouse which will start very soon, and that will be the final piece of the jigsaw.

“It’s a good time to get involved in the club. Things are going the right way in Kilmacrennan.

McGinley was busy in the summer and bolstered his squad.

Shane McNamee may have departed for Letterkenny Rovers but Ryan Shields is home again from his travels and is one of the best defenders in the league, while Conor Temple has made a great start to his Kilmacrennan career.

The team have won their first two matches in the Brian McCormick Cup as they got the better of Gweedore United 5-1 and then defeated Glenea United 5-0.

An Area Shield Final win is the next target for the new boss.

“So far we are where we want to be. We are in the Area Final of the Brian McCormick Cup.

“We won our first game 5-1 and 5-0 in the second match.

“I must say Glenea were understrength last week because they had GAA commitments and a lot of their guys play for Cloughaneely.

“I’m not reading a huge amount into it but having said that you can only beat what is in front of you on any given day.

“We’re still very happy with a 5-0 victory away from home.

“We have the Area Final this Sunday down in our new home pitch in Kilmacrennan. The draw has been kind to us.

“Keadue are very decent by all reports. I haven’t seen them myself yet this season.

“I hear they are a very good side. We will not be taking them for granted that’s one thing for sure.

“In my experience down through the years, you never get anything easy against Keadue. They will fight and run and chase and harry all day.

“They always have quality as well. They’ll be a tough challenge for us on Sunday and it’s one that we are not underestimating in any shape or form.

“If we come through this on Sunday then we will be through to the semi-finals of the Brian McCormick Cup, and that gives you something to look forward to at the end of the season.

“At that stage, you’re only two wins away from silverware.

“That’s exactly where we want to be. The season has started quite well but listen, it’s just one match at a time for us.”