By Shaun Casey

THE Cavan Senior Championship kicks off this weekend and Kingscourt boss Colin Kelly can’t wait to get the ball rolling. His side face Cavan Gaels in the opening round, which could prove to be one of the games of the weekend.

Kingscourt reached the county final as recently as two years ago, losing out to Gowna, but failed to reach the final eight last season, so improving that record will be the main objective this time around.

They finished midtable in the league, winning five of their 12 outings, ending the campaign on the same points as this weekend’s opponents, which would suggest there’s little between the two clubs.

“It comes in pretty quick; the inter-county stuff is out of the way and suddenly you’re a couple
of days out from the first round
of the senior championship,”
said the former Louth senior manager.

“The first round is always tricky; everyone starts off in the same boat and the first match is always very important. The fact that it’s Cavan Gaels in Breffni adds a bit of spice to it so there’s plenty there to whet the appetite, it’s an important fixture.

“Cavan Gaels, much similar to ourselves, would expect themselves to go pretty deep into the competition and it’s inevitable that’s it’s going to be a tough match, it’ll be very tight, and it can shape the season one way or another.”

It’s Kelly’s first season in charge of the eleven-time championship winners and he has really been enjoying his time involved. Should Kingscourt go all the way this year, it’ll be their first county title since 2015.

“I really like it; they’re a really good set of players. It’s a very, very competitive league so I’m really enjoying it, it’s great working with the lads and there’s a good atmosphere and a very young squad so it’s a good place to be around.”

They do have a few injury concerns ahead of the weekend, but that won’t derail their determination to put their best foot forward.

“We have a few injuries coming in the last couple of weeks which isn’t ideal,” he added.

“We have a few fellas carrying knocks but that’s the reason why we have a squad, you have to be able to deal with these issues.

“Whatever team we get on the field on Friday night will be strong irrespective of personnel, so I have no concerns that way whatsoever, we’re just really looking forward to the fixture.”

FIRST YEAR IN…Colin Kelly has enjoyed working with Kingscourt during his first season in charge