Eamon McConigley had a simple message for his Letterkenny Rovers players before Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash against Cockhill Celtic.
As he prepared his men for a must-win game in their rivals’ backgarden, the Charlie O’Donnell Sports Grounds, McConigley, a veteran of title races going back to the 80s, told his men: ‘Don’t take football for granted’.
From a position of real strength, Cockhill have seen McConigley’s Rovers eat into the deficit and, with three games to go in the race for the silverware, just three points separate the teams.
On Sunday, Rovers opened the door ever so slightly again as Darren McElwaine’s double saw them come from behind to win 2-1.
Cockhill are still in the position of strength as the leaders, but a team that hadn’t lost in a 72-game stretch going back to the summer of 2012 has been beaten four times since Christmas in the League.
“I told them before the game: ‘Don’t take football for granted’,” McConigley said.
“The minute you think you have it sussed is exactly when it’ll kick you in the teeth. You have to keep going and keep battling.
“It was an important win on Sunday. It’s important to keep it alive and to keep going as best we can. It’s still Cockhill’s League. We can just do what we can do ourselves but we’re dependent on someone else doing us a favour.”
McConigley’s men had been so far behind that he appeared to concede defeat in the title race as far back as November, when they drew 3-3 at Finn Harps Reserves.
The Rovers boss said: “We had some freakish results earlier in the season where we got a lot of draws and we had to play catch-up. The win in Cockhill has given us a good boost.
“It’s been frustrating.
“I felt at the start of the league there were a lot of abysmal refereeing decisions and we suffered badly on that in a couple of games.
“Our heads were down by the time we went to Harps and drew 3-3. We felt we left ourselves with too much to do.
“Swilly threw us a lifeline and we didn’t capitalise. It was do-or-die in Cockhill on Sunday, but it worked out for us.”
Experienced striker McElwaine was on the double on Sunday as Rovers scored the come-from-behind win.
McConigley said of his captain: “Macca is the highest scorer now. I’m delighted for him. He’s a good, loyal servant to the club and it’d be great for us to get a bit of silverware for him too.”
Cockhill would have been within a point of a fifth USL crown in succession with a win on Sunday and they looked to have taken a giant leap when Gerard McLaughlin headed in on 52 minutes.
However, McElwaine’s brace, on 63 and 70, saw Rovers defeat the defending champions.
“The way we reacted, I’d be over the moon about it,” McConigley said.
“There was great fight in us and we never believed that we’d lose. If we had lost, it would have been a travesty. We came back to win 2-1 and we deserved it.”
Gavin Cullen, the Cockhill player-manager, has insisted from a long way out that Rovers would come and make a real go of it.
“I always said that it would go to the wire,” Cullen said.
“We have given them an opportunity, through our own poor results. We have three tough games to finish it out, but I hope the players dig deep and go again.
“We’re depending on the same players. Last season, for instance, until the last two games of the season, I didn’t start the same 11 once. I ain’t able to do that this season.”
THE RUN-IN
Cockhill Celic
April 16 – Fanad United (h)
Apri 19 – Bonagee United (a)
May 7 – Swilly Rovers (a)
Letterkenny Rovers
April 16 – Derry City Reserves (h)
April 19 – Finn Harps Reserves (a)
May 7 – Fanad United (a)
RESULTS
4 Lanterns Ulster Senior League
Sunday
Cockhill Celtic 1 Letterkenny Rovers 2
Derry City Reserves 1 Bonagee United 1
Finn Harps Reserves 2 Swilly Rovers 0
FIXTURES
4 Lanterns Ulster Senior League
Sunday, April 16, 2pm
Bonagee United v Swilly Rovers
Cockhill Celtic v Fanad United
Letterkenny Rovers v Derry City
| USL | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| Cockhill Celtic | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 41 | 15 | 26 | 34 | * |
| Letterkenny Rovers | 15 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 33 | 20 | 13 | 31 | |
| Derry City Reserves | 15 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 31 | 23 | 8 | 23 | |
| Fanad United | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 21 | 1 | 21 | |
| Bonagee United | 15 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 28 | -15 | 18 | * |
| Finn Harps Reserves | 15 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 16 | 31 | -15 | 11 | |
| Swilly Rovers | 14 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 35 | -18 | 9 | |
| * Cockhill Celtic awarded a 3-0 win after Derry City Reserves team deemed ineligible on Jan 22 | |||||||||
TOP GOALSCORERS (League goals only)
Darren McElwaine (Letterkenny Rovers) 11
Cathal Farren (Derry City Reserves) 9
Mark Moran (Cockhill Celtic) 6
Laurence Toland (Swilly Rovers) 5
Jimmy Bradley (Cockhill Celtic) 5
Gerard McLaughlin (Cockhill Celtic) 5
REMINDER TO CLUB PROS
Ulster Senior League club PROs are reminded about the match day protocol for submission of reports. Detailed reports are to be emailed to the League PRO BEFORE 6pm on match days.
Failure to comply will result in the home club being fined.
Some clubs have become extremely lax on this matter and clubs are asked to ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure reports are filed on time.
