IT has been almost a flawless season so far for Convoy Arsenal but manager Johnny Doherty acknowledges that there is plenty to do yet to achieve their goals.
Convoy are currently joint-top of the Donegal Physiotherapy & Performance Centre Division Two and their form before Christmas was excellent with a 3-3 draw against a good Kerrykeel ’71 side the only blemish on their record.
Doherty’s side look on course for promotion but he says they have some tough trips to make in 2025, starting with Drumoghill at the Moss today (kick-off, 1pm).
“You have to be positive with how things are going so far,” said Doherty.
“Between the league and the Ulster Shield, we have played ten games and won nine of them and drawn one.
“The game we drew was against Kerrykeel who are joint-top so you couldn’t be disappointed with that.
“It’s not quite half-way yet but it’s more or less at that point and it’s going well but I still think there’s more in the team.
“I think there are a lot of games where we haven’t quite hit our top gears.
“There’s more in them and I see that at training and I see their fitness and I know what they are capable of.
“It’s all about trying to get them to where they should be but they are young and they are still learning.
“Some of them are only 17 and 18 and they are learning as they go and that’s part and parcel of it as well.”
Last year was a tough one for Convoy as they were relegated from the second tier.
There were some difficult days along the way but Doherty feels his young charges are better for the experience.
“To be fair, Division One last year was probably the most competitive that it’s ever been.
“You have Rovers and Bonagee who went up, and Cappry and Glenea who have won Premiers in the last ten years.
“It was really tough and it was a great learning curve. I kept saying that to the boys even when they were getting beat that they would be learning plenty from it.
“It is showing this year. They have come on a lot and they are definitely listening and improving which is great to see.”
While Doherty has given youth its chance, he has added some steel and experience as well.
One of those persuaded back to Orchard Park is striker JP Malley, who has shown over the last decade that he can score goals at all levels in the Donegal Junior League.
Malley will be key to Convoy’s aspirations this season although he is sidelined at the moment.
JP Malley of Convoy Arsenal.
“He’s been very unlucky.
“He was back playing and on the scoresheet a few times.
“He was starting to find his groove again and then he did ankle ligaments about mid-December so he will be out for another few weeks yet.
“He’s a massive loss for us because we have big games coming up and you want his experience and eye for a goal.
“We have a panel there though. Young Ryan McGroarty is back after injury and he scored two on Sunday.
“You have the likes of (Anthony) Bogle as well, and you could play him midfield or forward and I even played him left-back one day when we were short a few.
“He came off injured last Sunday but hopefully he will be ok.
“I brought in Calvin Bradley and Luke Kelly and they have steadied things up at the back.
“They’re definitely a big help for us.”
Doherty knows his team are in good form, but he sees potential pitfalls along the road ahead, and not just from those at the upper echelons of the league.
“There’s a long way to go.
“We have to travel to Drumoghill this week and we still have to go to Whitestrand, and travel to Kerrykeel so we have three of the top four teams away.
“It’s going to be a big ask for us. We’re not thinking for one second that we are there, you have four teams at the top who are all close by.
“And there are other strong teams as well. We played Raphoe at the weekend and I think they were second or third bottom and we’re up near the top.
“There was very little between the two teams on Sunday. Raphoe are a very young side and very energetic and if they stick at it, they will be a team to watch over the next few years.
“Physically a bit short but they have some good players, and very few over twenty. They are down near the bottom but there was nothing between the teams. It was far from handy.”
Drumoghill were beaten by Whitestrand 4-2 last week and another defeat this Sunday will all but rule them out of the automatic promotion race.
The men from the Moss are going to be hungry to get a big performance.
With the ‘Strand heading to Kerrykeel for a derby on Sunday as well, it has the potential to be a pivotal weekend in the season.
“When we played Drumoghill in Convoy before Christmas I thought they were very, very good for an hour.
“They gave us serious problems and we just made a couple of substitutions that worked and we ended up getting a 3-1 result.
“Our boys know what is ahead of them this week.
“The top four play against each other this Sunday so something has to give.”
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