Promotion in the League might be the top goal, but Naomh Colmcille manager Ryan McKinley says his men can still make a push for the Junior A Championship crown.
Naomh Colmcille are closing in on the Division 4 title, which comes with the bonus of promotion back to Division 3, but having dropped down from the Intermediate grade last year, they’re looking for a quick exit from the Junior ranks, too.
However, a 3-13 to 1-11 home loss to St Mary’s, Convoy yesterday wasn’t in the script as goals from Anthony Browne, Paddy Dolan and Keelan Gillen brought the hammer down.
“The goals were killers,” McKinley, who is in his first year at the helm, said.
“We were very slack in our marking. It’s uncharacteristic of us, but we switched off and got a bit complacent. Convoy took their chances, in fairness to them.
“It was disappointing. Listen, we have three or four out injured and we had to get some new fellas in there. We have no complaints, the better team won on the team and that’s just that.
“It was one of them days where it just didn’t happen for us.”
Naomh Colmcille had Ciaran Devine harshly sent off early in the second half and Daniel Clarke followed later in the day despite protesting that he hadn’t already been booked.
But McKinley said: “I won’t start making excuses – Convoy were the better team.”
With Matthew Crossan, Michael Lynch, John Fullerton and Oran Hilley to come back into the side, the 2015 Intermediate finalists are confident of rattling some trees in the Junior race yet.
McKinley added: “Our priority from the start of the year was promotion, but the Championship isn’t done and dusted on us yet. We had a lot of energy missing out of the team today, but you haven’t seen the end of us yet.”
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