Drumquin staying focused after beating leaders

DRUMQUIN are making strides in the right direction but captain Eoin Skelton and the camp are focusing on one game at a time as they try to maintain momentum in ACL Division Three.

The Tones were defeated for the first time this season in round six by Killeeshil before having a postponement the following week. They were glad to get back on the field for a Friday tie at Eskra and Drumquin dented the home side’s unbeaten run when triumphing 1-8 to 0-7.

That win over the Emmets put the Tones into joint third place on 12 points alongside Killeeshil, one behind Eskra and two adrift of table-toppers Aghaloo. Captain Eoin Skelton was pleased with the performance and result against Eskra as he knows it’s a division where you can’t afford to slip up much:

” We were all keen to play again after the defeat to Killeeshil and then missing last week. The game was a tough one away at Eskra who are going well. Thankfully we got ahead in the match and were able to take home the victory in the closing stages.

”  It was clear that we needed to bounce back with a good result and the lads responded really well to the task. Sean McDonagh got on the end of a first half goal for us and then we made inroads on the scoreboard after the interval with a numerical advantage at that time over Eskra.

” Teams are positioning themselves as the halfway stage in the league arrives and there will be little room for error now with every fixture being significant. We hope to keep as many players as fit as we can heading into the second phase of the campaign and give our all in the process’’, stressed the captain.

Drumquin face Derrytresk this week and then Augher before the holiday break as the Tones try to keep close tabs in terms of league table placement. Drumquin are determined to give every game their full focus and not look ahead beyond the next fixture:

” There are no guarantees as teams are capable of causing you problems no matter where they are located in the table. This is the stage of the season where teams really make a big push and form can improve as a result. Points are going to be keenly contested for across the board.

” We would like to be in close contention for the second half of the league programme but the levels of intensity and performance need to be maintained. Everyone wants to do their level best for the team and the club as a whole.

” There is a decent mix of youth and experience within our squad plus the club’s youth teams are adding to the positive feeling around the club.

” Things can’t stand still, though, and so we all must keep our shoulders to the wheel’’, underlined Skelton.