Castlefin Celtic travel to Limerick’s Ballynanty Rovers

Castlefin Celtic are back in FAI Junior Cup action this Sunday when they travel to Limerick to take on Ballynanty Rovers (kick-off,12 noon).  

Raymond Foy’s lads secured their place in the competition’s last 32 prior to Christmas, coming from behind to defeat Killarney Athletic with Dean Kelly and Jordan Duffy netting in a 2-1 win. 

Castlefin had gone into the festive break second bottom of the pile in the Donegal League Premier Division. However, their cup exploits this term means they’re playing a little bit of catch up in terms of fixtures in the top tier. 

With three and, in some instances four, games in hand on most others, Foy hopes things will now begin to take shape for his side in the Premier Division from this point on. 

Their opening fixture after the break saw them go away to title chasing Kilmacrennan Celtic and win 3-1. So the signs are that things could well take a sharp turn in the weeks ahead. 

He explained: “We’ve only played six games so far, we actually haven’t played back to back games in the league because of the FAI Junior and Ulster Cups. It’s not really an excuse. We’ve lost two, drawn three and won one. 

“We really knuckled down during the break. We trained three times Christmas week. There was a really good energy there. I think we all feel we’ve not hit the mark we’ve wanted to in the league so far but we’ve the time and the games now to change that in the weeks ahead. We still have 12 games left to play”.  

In relation to their trip south to Limerick, Foy says the club has decided to travel down the day before. That overnight stay will - he hopes - leave the group in a much better position to give their best account of themselves. 

“Yeah - we’re heading down early on Saturday,” said Foy, whose team has already secured wins over Bonagee United, Fanad United, Greencastle and, of course, Killarney last time out in the competition. 

“We had a fundraiser, a Night at the Races, there and it raised a bit of money which will go to helping cover some of the costs of this trip. We’ve had some excellent results so far in the competition and we want to take that at least another step further.

“We’re going down there with the aim of preparing properly. We’ll have a light training session on the Saturday, just to shake the legs after the long journey. And we’ll just have that little extra time together, as a group, to look at a number of other things. 

“It won’t be easy, Ballynanty have a good history and pedigree in the cup. They’re only sitting two points off Pike Rovers in their own league. And if Pike are the barometer there, then Ballynanty are as good a junior side as you’re going to come across in the country. But we’re all really looking forward to the challenge”.