Youthful Lisnaskea hope to challenge

Editorial Department • Published 19 Aug 2010 16:00 0 Comments

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Lisnaskea will be hoping that youth will help propel them back into the top flight.

There is a strong Tyrone flavour to Division Two this season and Strathroy Harps will be the side that will be fancied to make a quick return to the top flight having had a couple of players come back to the club from Omagh United after they folded.

The Harps won last year’s Mulhern Cup but inside a week had suffered relegation to Division Two and their goal this season will be to secure a passage back to Division One.

Darren Teague may have left for Ballinamallard United, and he will be missed by Dominic McMullan’s side, but with Seamus Fanthorpe, Barry McElholm and Dermot Donnelly back at the club, along with the existing players, they should be a major force in the division.

However, the other side relegated from Division One, Clabby Strollers have sadly informed the Fermanagh and Western that they have withdrawn from the league, and they would have been one of the teams that may have been in contention.

Killen Rangers missed out on promotion last season but they should be in contention again this season although there will be a host of clubs who will hope to be in the fight for promotion places.

Lisnaskea Rovers had a steady season last time around as they came home in sixth spot but with a youthful squad manager Kevin Curran is hopeful that they can push on further this season.

“We got 26 points last season and I would like to think that we can add an extra 10 or 12 points to that. If we can get a good start and continue from that then we will be pushing although in saying that we are a work in progress,” he commented.

Rovers have brought back James McKenna and James West to strengthen their squad while young players like Paul McConkey and Andy Little are expected to play their part and if they can start well then there is no reason why Rovers can’t be in contention.

Kesh will be looking to hold their own in the league although joint manager Alan Johnston believes that it is a tough division.

“There is a lot of good teams in the division but our aim will be to stay out of the relegation zone and hopefully get into the top half of the table. We also have a very young side at the minute and it is a chance to give those players a bit of experience,” he stated.

Barrowfield are another side who should be in the shake up at the top end of the table if they can build on their fourth place finish last season while the two promoted sides, Omagh Hospitals and Spamount Swifts will hope to be able to hold their own against the rest of the sides in the division.

Aside from Kesh, there are four more reserve teams in Division Two with Dergview Reserves the most likely of these to be in the race when things hot up while the remainder will hope to be able to avoid the relegation scrap while trying to get a couple of players through into the their respective first teams.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 19 Aug 10

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