Fintona must ‘park’ league worries for now- Murray

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND

FINTONA captain Niall Murray insists that they must ‘park’ for now any concerns over potential relegation and focus solely on Friday night’s Intermediate first round clash with Aghaloo at Healy Park.

The Pearses have suffered a bout of the Sophomore Blues in their second season plying ther trade in Division Two, having been promoted as Junior champions in 2023.

A crunch relegation playoff against Killeeshil (unless either wins the Championship of course) now awaits after Fintona finished up their league programme third from bottom, a home defeat against fellow strugglers Aghyaran ensuring that Martin Greene’s side couldn’t escape the drop zone.

While their Championship meeting with Aghaloo is clearly the priority right now, Niall Murray acknowledges that it was disappoiting not to ensure their safety in that meeting with St Davog’s at St Lawrence’s Park.

“Both teams were in the same situation, the winners were going to be safe and the losers were going into a relegation playoff.

“It was like a Championship game in that regard with so much at stake. Unfortunately we came out on the wrong end of it which was disappointing.

“We could have wrapped up the league with our status safe and gone into the Championship a bit more relaxed but that isn’t the case.”

Fintona return to Healy Park on Friday night, the venue for one of the most memorable fixtures in the club’s history, when Aaron McCarney popped over a late winner in extra time to clinch the Junior Championship two seasons back after extra-time against Drumragh.

Murray stated that the side will relish entering the Championship arena once again, despite their league woes, and give it their best shot against Aghaloo.

“We just have to park the league now and focus on Aghaloo. It’s a new competition with new opportunites. We want to try and take advantage of it and put our best foot forward.

“So we will prepare for that now and whenever the league playoff comes around we will prepare for that as well.”

With both teams locking horns regularly over the years, Niall said that each will be well familiar with the others perceived strengths and weaknesses.

“It’s going to be a big test. We have played each other quite a few times over this last number of years and both sides have come out on the right side of the result. So we know them quite well and they know us quite well at this stage.”

The experienced Fintona campaigner also praised the way Aghaloo had adapted to life back in Intermediate football after their promotion last term.

“In fairness for the first season up both themselves and Drumquin have done well. I suppose when you are promoted you tend to have that bit of momentum, a bit like we had last season. Aghaloo have managed to carry that on through so fair play to them for doing that.”