Banagher boss Eunan O’Kane glad to achieve promotion aim

By Michael McMullan

BANAGHER manager Eunan O’Kane wasn’t overly happy with his side’s performance against Eoghan Rua even though victory was still enough to clinch promotion.

Two late points from Tiarnan Moore edged them ahead with minor player Fionn Cartin hitting a hat-trick of goals.

Their win secured the Division Two title with two games still remaining, allowing Banagher to focus on the upcoming Senior Championship.

O’Kane, a former Republic of Ireland soccer international, is in his first season as manager of his native club. He was also part of the Moneyglass ladies’ management team who went all the way to last autumn’s All-Ireland senior showdown.

Reflecting on Friday’s win, he expressed disappointment with their first-half showing against Eoghan Rua.

O’Kane wondered whether nerves may have crept in, especially with some young players being blooded into the senior ranks this season.

They were also without injured playmaker Eamon Óg Feeney, who had starred in recent outings.

“We’ve been down here (Division Two) for a while,” O’Kane added, who coached the team under previous manager and current Antrim senior coach Paul Bradley.

“I don’t think over the last few years we’ve had that chance where it’s been in our hands.

“We’ve ended up chasing (promotion), so maybe there were a few (nerves), like we’ve got a very young group.

“Coleraine (Eoghan Rua), they’re a good side. They put it up to us, I probably feel we’re a bit lucky in the end to get out of there with a win.”

Banagher’s last two games are against a Desertmartin side who have Lachlan Murray shooting the lights out after a return from county duty and Claudy.

Clinching promotion early leaves Banagher with the chance to rest any players with knocks ahead of the championship.

While operating in Division Two, Banagher beat both Ballinderry and Dungiven in last year’s Senior Championship.

Traditionally, they’ve always managed to produce big performances in the championship. For instance, they came within a whisker ofbeating eventual champions Magherafelt in the 2019 semi-final despite not having won a league game all year.

Tiarnan Moore is their key man in attack while half-back duo Gavin O’Neill and Peter Hagan have again been to the fore.

“There’s young bodies coming in behind those older more experienced players,” O’Kane points out.

“We’re just delighted. The aim at the start of the year obviously was to get promoted, it’s been that for a couple of years.

“It’s six weeks to our championship which feels like a long time. We definitely want to be competitive with the matches that we have ahead of us in the league.

“Now that it’s (promotion) is over and done with, we’ll turn to the championship.

“Anybody with knocks and niggles, we’ll probably get a chance to let them rest and recover. We’ll see where we are when we go back to training and take it from there.”