WIN WILL SEE US KICK ON Learning to hold on to lead can start revival says Dan

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DANNY SLOAN reckons St Pat’s need to be more streetwise if they are to turn their impressive recent performances into victories.

A Conall Mckeown goal saw the New Lodge outfit grab a share of the spoils at home to Rosario on Saturday to throw themselves a lifeline in Division 1A.

With St Pat’s cut adrift at the foot of the table on just three points, and still searching for their first league win, it’s been a torrid baptism of fire for Sloan who was lumbered with a rebuilding job in his first managerial appointment in the Amateur League.

But after a demoralising start to the new campaign, when The Cliff-based outfit appeared out of their depth with four heavy defeats in a row, they now look much more competitive, with Sloan pointing to their two losses to league leaders Killyleagh – when they were edged out 3-2 at the beginning of October having been hammered 8-1 first time round – as evidence of their improvement.

Indeed, in their last eight league outings, St Pat’s have lost six and all by the odd goal, reinforcing Sloan’s belief that his new-look team are finally acclimatising to the demands of the division.

But while adamant the tide is beginning to turn, the St Pat’s chief acknowledges that points and not performances is the be-all, with just 12 league games left for his team to save their skins.

“We seem to be taking the lead in a lot of matches but we just can’t hold on,” explained Sloan, who was managing at Newington Reserves last season.

“All the players we have brought in are new to this league and they weren’t quite up to speed at the start.

“This is basically a new team that we have rebuilt, and the average age is about 20 to 22.

“But we need to just keep plugging away and if we can get the win, I feel we can kick on.

“And we still have to play all the teams around us so they are important games and I’m looking forward to this Saturday against Kilmore, hopefully we get a win.” It’s been a tough couple of seasons for St Pat’s who finished bottom of the league last year only to be handed a reprieve after 1B champions UUJ dropped down into Junior football. Sloan inherited a team low in morale and with numbers constantly dwindling, but he feels he has stopped the rot. Slowly but surely he has managed to get new faces in, albeit most of them young and unproven at this level, the likes of Saturday’s goalscorer Mckeown, Paul Hanvey, Darren Fitzsimmons, Michael Mcardle and Dan Kelly.

And and he reckons they are only now finding their feet, aided by the know-how of the handful of players who have stood by Sloan from last season. “The players who stayed, the likes of Raymond Spotswood (left), Jamie Jacobson, Kris Light and Cormac Brannigan are helping them on but it’s just getting them to gel together,” added the St Pat’s chief.

“But you can see it is coming, the win is coming. When we played Killyleagh, we pushed them all the way and they scored near enough in the dying minutes.

“We played Abbey Villa down there and they scored in the 94th minute to win the game 3-2, and the same with Orangefield last week, they beat us 2-1 but second half we battered them.

“And on Saturday there again, some of the football was a delight to watch. In midfield, the three in the middle, Gary [Doherty], Paul and Darren are bossing games.

“And with the experienced players in beside them there, I feel we are getting there.”