By Shaun Casey

WARRENPOINT have secured their top tier status for another season with one game left to play in the league and that was their main target from the start of the year, says manager John Boyle.

They take on Mayobridge on Friday night but can’t get sucked into a relegation battle on the final night of fixtures in Down. That means that Boyle and his crew can immediately turn all their attentions towards the championship.

With the top goal achieved, Warrenpoint can head into the senior championship with the pressure off.

“Staying in Division One is the most important thing to be honest,” said former player Boyle.

“That was the big goal coming into the season, there’s been a lot of transition on the playing side of things, so the big thing is that we play at the top level in terms of the league.

“That was the huge aim, to stay in the division and that’s not easily done. There are some decent teams in it and it’s quite competitive but staying up was the big aim for us from the start of the season.”

They take on Division Two champions Bredagh in the opening round of the championship.

“That’s going to be a huge test. They were decent last year in Division One and probably unlucky to be relegated but that’s just the nature of Division One, that it’s really competitive.

“There are good teams come up and down all the time, so Bredagh are going to be a really difficult task and with them winning Division Two, they’ll come into it full of confidence but there’s no easy games in the senior championship.

“If we don’t play well then we’ll get beat.”

Boyle hopes he will have a full hand to pick from come the championship and he his delighted with the squad depth in Warrenpoint at the minute.

“At this time of the season it’s quite difficult because you’re trying to juggle boys that pick up knocks,” he added. “I’m sure like all teams, we never had our full hand all year so you’re trying to manage boys that are sore and you’re trying to give boys game time.

“The big thing this year is that the squad has improved massively. A few of the boys have really come on which is a good thing for the squad in general, that doesn’t mean we’ll do big things but some of the boys have pushed on a lot.”