KEADUE Rovers manager Patrick Bonner is now in his second season in charge at Central Park and is hoping his greater sense of familiarity with the players will help the team.

The Gulls finished seventh last term but Bonner feels they are equipped to climb further up the ladder this term.

“Things are going good,” said Bonner.

“We played a few friendlies and the boys have put in a good bit of work.

“We’re not too bad. We have a similar enough team to last year.

“Hopefully we have learned a few things from last season and we can try and improve on them and go and be competitive.

“It was my first year in and I had been off the scene for a couple of years.

“It was good to get back into it. I knew some of the lads but I didn’t know others and it’s just getting to know the players and their strengths and weaknesses and maybe their best position and stuff like that.”

Keadue weren’t helped last season when Aidan Brennan went to play senior football with Ballinamallard midway through the season.

However, the pacey winger is back on board again now and will cause teams plenty of problems.

“Aidan was with us last year and went up there mid-season but he’s come back to us which is great for us.

“We still have the same squad pretty much. We have a new goalkeeper in Shane Graham who is a good signing.

“Adam McCaffrey is back fit as well and then we have the experienced lads like Chris Greene, Mark Forker, Brian Proctor, and Martin Ferry still going strong.

“We have a good core of a squad.”

Keadue were never in any danger of relegation last season but they hope to steer well clear of that this season and they do have a seasoned side who should be able to hold their own.

“It’s very tough in that division. It’s great to be playing in it but it’s definitely not easy.

“Letterkenny Rovers are looking like the favourites again and then after that you have Bonagee, Fanad, Kilmac, and Kildrum and I would put ourselves in that bracket as well as being competitive.

“It’s a tough one to call but you’d like to be up around the top half anyway.”