By Michael McMullan

KINAWLEY head into Friday’s clash with county champions Derrygonnelly in top spot after three games and manager Dominic Corrigan stresses the importance of early points in the bag.

Wins over St Patrick’s Donagh, Devenish and Roslea have been added to the two points carried across from finishing second in their Club Players’ League group.

After leading Ballinamore to the Leitrim title last season, the experienced supremo is back at the helm with his native club, with former players Sean Leonard, Barry Maguire and Shaun Doherty forming his backroom team.

They have been given the boost of a return of Conor Murphy, a MacRory Cup winner under Corrigan’s watch in 2012.

“Conor was working in Malta for the last two years and he is back and is great boost for us. It will take him a big of time get up to the pace of things,” Corrigan said.

The Brian Borus lost to Derrygonnelly in a semi-final replay in last year’s championship when four Tomás Corrigan points and Lorcan McKenna’s goal weren’t enough to book a first final since 1993 when Corrigan senior played in their defeat to Devenish.

“We had no county players this year, there were a few boys asked but with commitments decided not to go in,” explained Corrigan, who was still unable to get a settled team during the season.

“In the league, between holidays, injuries and Covid, you are never going out with the same 15, so it is difficult to get a consistent team selection.

“On the other hand, you are definitely testing out your squad which isn’t a bad thing either, I would have no complaints about it.”

Kinawley have yet to win a Senior Championship, but have seven Intermediate titles to their name with virtually all of their 2019 winning line up back-boning the current side.

“They’d all still be there, most of our boys are in their late 20s and early 30s,” he said.

“I have taken in a couple of young players to blood them in, but you’ll find there won’t be that much change.”

Corrigan would love to see his club get their hands on the New York Gold Cup, but feels a Senior Championship is a “long way” down the road.

“We have a lot of work to do to get there,” said Corrigan, a five-time Senior Championship winning manager in Leitrim, Monaghan and Tyrone.

“We wouldn’t have a tradition in the Senior Championship, but we just get on with it.”

The pre-season priority was league safety and getting enough points to get it “parked up” ahead of a new-look championship format in Fermanagh.

The draw has yet to be made, but a round-robin approach will see the eight teams divided into two groups, with the winners advancing to the semi-finals. The next two play in quarter-finals with the bottom placed teams battling it out into a relegation play-off.

“The county board decided there were not enough championship games and now there is and it’s the same format for senior, intermediate and junior,” Corrigan added, stressing the importance of their winning start to the season.

“It’s a nine-game league, so with six games left we are not looking over our shoulder to see where we can pick up points,” he said of a campaign that will see them take on Enniskillen Gaels and an Ederney side with Donegal Ladies manager Maxi Curran on board.

“The important team’s main aim is to stay in Division One and plying your trade with the best teams.”