Harps return to action after a long lay-off
BOYNE Harps, who have been without a competitive fixture for several weeks, now face into two huge games in the space of seven days as this Sunday they travel to Carlow in the Leinster Senior Cup before competing in the Kilmessan Shield Final the following Sunday.
Harps manager Darius Kierans said that while it’s been tough to get through the last few weeks, the players have been training well and they are fully focused on the two big games ahead.
‘We’ve played some friendlies, but it’s difficult when you’re not playing at the weekend.
‘We are getting good numbers at training, but it’s difficult because the league has been finished a long time and there’s still two or three weeks left in the season,’ began Kierans.
The former Drogheda United and Dundalk manager is fully aware of the challenge faced by Carlow side New Oak Boys in this week’s Leinster Senior Cup tie.
‘They beat Kilkenny’s Evergreen in the FAI Junior Cup and Evergreen are one of the best
Junior sides in the country, so it’s going to be a tough game.
‘You never know what to expect when making these journeys, but if you want to progress in the tournament these are the types of games that you have to win,’ said Kierans.
While the manager has no injury worries, the timing of the game will leave him without some players who have prebooked holidays, but he still expects to travel down with a strong squad.
‘You can get too bogged down in who the opposition are, their strengths and weaknesses. We have to prepare ourselves and focus on our own play and just worry about ourselves,’ he added.
A win in the second round will move them one game away from a potential fixture against a League of Ireland team, who will enter in the fourth round.
Kierans will then have his first chance to land some silverware as Harps boss when they face
Bellurgan in the KIlmessan Shield decider on Sunday week.
From his time at Dundalk, Kierans is very familiar with Bellurgan and knows it’s going to be a difficult game.
‘We had someone at the game [semi-final win v Parkvilla] this morning and we’ll do our homework on them, but again it’s down to us and as I said before we have to be prepared.’
While the season is dragging on for Harps, it does give Kierans, who took the job three-quarters of the way through the season, a chance to plan for next year.
‘I’ve been using these weeks to look ahead to next season to see what we have. We will be back in January to start strength and conditioning and take it from there. These few extra weeks have been very beneficial from that point of view.
‘It was definitely the right decision to join the club when I did and get a real look at everything. But hopefully we can go and end the season on a positive note with a win on Sunday and then a win in the Kilmessan Shield,’ he concluded.