Life as a league of Ireland club has had it’s ups and downs for Castlebar Celtic so far this season. Declan Kilkelly’s men have won one of their first two league games away to Drogheda United a much needed win after loosing their first two games of the season. Celtic entered the A League with much fanfare against Derry City a few weeks ago only to go down 2-1 to the Ulster men and they followed that game up with another defeat in the League Cup three days later. The defeat in the league cup was at the hands of this weekends opponents Finn Harps. The Donegal outfit ran out comfortable 4-0 winners after Celtic let them off the hook on two occasions in the first half. That time out Celtic faced the clubs first team while this weekend, it will be the Harps A side that make their way to Celtic Park.
Celtic manager Declan Kilkelly is looking forward to the return of Harps to Castlebar and is embracing the challenge of the step up Celtic have taken this year. “It’s been great so far, it’s a learning curve all the time and we have had to really work hard on every facet of the game. We’ve played Derry and Harps and lost, but even in the Harps game if we had taken our chances it could have been a different result, but then we picked it up and we went up to Drogheda and won and then beat Ringmahon in the cup last weekend.”
Taking your chances
The need to take your chances when they come your way at this level is something that Kilkelly has been getting his side to work hard on in training because as he admits they don’t come easy. “It’s different that the league we were playing in where you could miss a chance and another one would come along soon enough, at this level when they come you have to take them as we found out this season. We’ve been working hard on ensuring that we concentrate right from the off until he end, because if you switch off at all you could be a goal down and not get back into it.”
This weekend Celtic will be with out five players including James Minogue, Ronan O’Boyle, Shane Hynes and Danny Broderick and having a strong squad is something that Kilkelly has placed great emphasis on and is looking to expand in the summer. “We have a squad of 28 at the minute signed to play, but you need that we have five lads out due to injury this weekend, but you could have more out next week and lads who can’t play due to other commitments, so it’s very important to have a deep squad. There’s a transfer window in July and we’ll look to add a few more faces to it.” With having a large squad everyone can’t be kept happy all the time if their not getting game time, but Kilkelly is going to use this season to give as many players a run as possible. “Every game we go into, were going to be underdogs, but that’s the way it is in your first year. But we’ve given a good number of lads a run so far this season and will, because it’s a big step up and you can’t just put a player in and expect them to perform with no experience. Were working hard in training to get everything up to scratch, we’re working with the lads to ensure that they do their best every time.”
While it’s a learning curve for the players it’s also one for the manager who is learning on the go at the higher levels himself. “Every day is a challenge be it on the training field or during the game, your always learning be it tactically or the approach you take to games. But it’s good and it’s all going well so far.”
Cup win for Celtic
Last weekend in the FAI Ford Senior Cup Celtic booked their place in the second round of the competition thanks to a 3-1 win over Ringmahon Rangers from Cork on Saturday night. Celtic came back from going a goal down 27 minutes into the game when Derek Ringmahon headed home, but Celtic pulled the tie level a couple of minutes later when Ringmahon player Aidan Foley was given his marching orders for handling the ball in the box and Peter Dravins scored from the spot kick. Celtic took the lead with 15 minutes to go when Sean McHale finished a loose ball to the net following a Declan Flynn long throw and the game was wrapped up by Pat Fitzgerald who slotted it low to the bottom of the net to seal the win.
