GRAHAM BACK IN THE GROVE..

GRAHAM MCCONNELL has cut short his retirement to roll the sleeves up and get stuck into the task of reviving Grove.

Just a few weeks after posting on Facebook that he was finished in the management game after leaving Bryansburn, the former Larne boss (above) is back in the dugout after agreeing to take on the job at Grove.

The Shore Road outfit are in big trouble, a pale shadow of the team that stormed the 1B title just two years ago.

Ricky Andrews, the man who led them there, had seen enough barely two months into the new season, tendering his resignation after a run of just one win and five defeats from their opening seven league games.

With a host of players who helped fire Grove back into 1A now playing their football elsewhere, Mcconnell has been tasked with a rebuilding job.

But he insists he’s up to the challenge.

“I’ve never taken on a team sitting at the top of the table, any jobs I’ve had have been teams that are struggling so I suppose I must have a sadistic side that likes that struggle,” he told Match.

“Grove are not in a great place but you only get a chance to come into a club if they are struggling, you don’t get a chance if they’re going well.”

Grove battled to a 4-4 draw at home to Dunmurry Rec at the weekend, with Mcconnell adamant he will make his new club competitive in the division.

“I’ve already brought a few new players in but a bit like anything else, it’s a numbers game, we probably don’t have enough depth” he said.

“We’re at the wrong end of the table but we want to stay in 1A, that’s our aim this season, we’ll look no further than that’”