By Michael McMullan

IT has been a year of transformation for Derry club Limavady. From looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone last season, they are now in the top six with the championship around the corner.

It’s a third stint as manager for Declan Toner who had gone back to work with underage teams in the club.

Sunday’s defeat to Banagher was just their second of the season, leaving them one point adrift in second place with three games to play.

Derry CCC changed Division Two this season. After the final round of games, the league split in two with a further five games between the teams in each half.

“We had a horrendous run in the league last year and injuries killed us,” Toner pointed out.

“This year, injuries have been light, touch wood. We built a bit of momentum, got a couple of victories, capitalised on it and went on a run.

“Our aim at the start of the year was to get into the top six. We are playing against some of the tougher teams where you learn about yourself.”

Toner has been delighted with the efforts and performance from the squad.

“Limavady would traditionally be a club where boys would buy in a la carte, but the last few years, they have bought in,” Toner added.

“There has been a change in culture. I have been deliberately trying to a build a culture like the smaller rural clubs would have. We are not there yet but we are going in the right direction.”

There is flexibility of accommodating players’ commitments to other sports in the buffer part of the season when there is crossover.

There is a bit of give and take. Rather than driving a wedge, Toner’s mantra is about accommodation. Then, when it’s GAA time, everyone’s shoulder is to the wheel.

“We have a panel of 24 or 25 players and we get them out every week training,” he said.

“Traditionally you might have had 30 boys on a panel, there might be 20 training, but you didn’t know who the 20 were.”

It was something he drove when he went back to focus on the underage. If you didn’t train, you didn’t play. Good habits and commitment to get a couple into the senior ranks.

Their conditioning work over the winter has kept the injuries at bay, giving a chance of momentum from playing with a full deck.

Last year, they were competitive but on the wrong side of results. That has flipped.

“We beat Greenlough, Banagher and Coleraine, three games in a row,” Toner said of a turning point for the squad. “The games could’ve gone either way in the last five minutes. Banagher beat us on Sunday, deservedly, because they got the scores in the last five minutes.

“There have been no easy games this year with the new rules any team can beat anybody.”

A focus on making it into the top six took away any pressure that comes with a relegation battle.

“We probably surprised a few people outside the club,” he added. “There has always been talent in this club, they just needed a bit of self-belief.”

There is a competitive Intermediate Championship to follow in August but tough rematches against Foreglen, Greenlough and Coleraine is perfect preparation.

“This time last year, we were looking at the league table to see how other teams were doing around us.”