MAXIE SWAIN TO FINAGHY AND BEYOND FOR CHRIS..

By Joy story for boss Stewart as they battle for glory in league and cups

CHRISSY STEWART believes Finaghy’s fixture pile-up is a price worth paying with his club still fighting on three fronts after beating Barn United 3-1 in the Clarence Cup on Saturday.

The Wedderburn Park outfit have been in terrific form this season, with their weekend win – courtesy of a brace from the player-manager himself and Dylan Murphy’s strike – ensuring safe passage through to the last 16 of the competition, where a home draw against Premier Division side 1st Bangor lies in wait.

The victory was the perfect response after the disappointment of seven days previously when they crashed out of the fonacab Junior Cup – although Stewart has no complaints about their exit, conceding they were second best to a very impressive Tummery Athletic, the best team his side have faced this year in his opinion.

So the Barn result was particularly timely, restoring momentum as they take the latest step in their bid for Junior Shield glory this Saturday with a trip to highly-rated Willowbank, the holders of the trophy. Stewart has always prided himself on how his teams play the game, and having heard good things about Willowbank’s style of play too, he reckons the tie at Olympia could be a great advertisement for Junior football and indeed the Amateur League.

“Willowbank will be a cracking game,” said the Finaghy boss. “I know a few people who have watched them a few times, and I have friends around their club and it’s a well-run club.

“We played Donaghadee in the last round, and Damien Grimley did referee, and he was saying how he’d refereed us twice and them twice and he said between the two sides, he

always enjoys doing them because of the good football being played so it’s set up to be a good game.”

And looking ahead to their next game in the Clarence the following week, Stewart says it’s a chance to renew rivalries with two friends he has made through the Amateur League.

“From my time at Derriaghy, and playing Abbey Villa at the time, you know what it’s like, through football you meet friends, and I know TJ [Young] and Neil [Mcguiggan] who ran Abbey Villa then, and I’ve actually kept in contact since then,” explained Stewart.

“I’ve known them a long time now, and I chat quite regularly with them and we were having a bit of banter last night with them.

“But it’s a nice tie, and it’s at our place. They are two good lads, I have a lot of respect for them and I was saying we’d like to get them back after the game and put food on and things.

“It’s a good game for us against a Premiership team, but as I said to TJ, we’re not going to play the old underdogs card, we can have a go.

“We can go and enjoy it, playing a team at that level. If they are better than you, then you hold your hands up and that’s it. But there’s no pressure in the Clarence when you are playing those teams.”

Cups aside, Finaghy still retain an outside chance of promotion in 2A, provided two go up this year. But they would need a pretty flawless run-in and for one of either league leaders Greenisland or Plunkett to blow up to let them in.

“The league is your bread and butter,” said Stewart.

“I don’t like to set targets, you try and win every game, but progressing in the Junior Shield, the Clarence and the quarter-finals of the Junior Cup, the league games are starting to stack up.

“But it’s there if we can go on a run, that win on Saturday was our 11th in 12 games so we’re in good form.

“The problem becomes the midweek games, how many times have you seen it, but listen, I would rather be in this position, having lots of games and competing on lots of fronts, than be looking at the league table with just a few games left and nothing to play for.”

On Saturday’s performance, Stewart felt his team were worthy winners against a struggling Barn, whose situation at the foot of 1B is looking increasingly perilous with each passing week.

“The first 20 minutes was a wee bit sloppy and the pitch is a bit hard to play on at the moment, but I thought after that, no disrespect, but we were the better team,” said Stewart.

“Barn, we have played against them before and they have a few experienced players who have quality, but I thought we controlled the game after the first 20 minutes and I was happy with how the boys played.” 19.02.2019