"We're nowhere near the finished article" but Kelly sees Glencar Manorhamilton potential

Glencar Manorhamilton’s young guns may be wowing football fans with their potential in the years ahead but  Dominic Kelly stresses that the work is only just beginning for a talented crop of young players, pointing out “we’re nowhere near the finished article.”

Mohill triumphed 1-16 to 0-11 last Saturday in the Connacht Gold SFC Quarter Final but the memories of the defeat will provide fuel for Kelly’s young team in the years ahead: “We're absolutely gutted but we'll come again -  our average age today I think was 22. You take Bruno and Evan out of it, we’re  younger - Barry is  21, Jack's 18, Bailey's 18, Luke Farrell's 18, Cathal Curneen came on, he's 18 and Monty's 21.

“It's scary to look at that team, there's huge potential but the key now is to keep that group together and that's up to us as a club to keep them and improve them as  players. Because I think there's huge improvement to come yet - we're nowhere near the finished article. 

“We have a lot of stuff to do but we're in a good enough place, definitely. It’s frightening what the future is but there's only a bright future ahead  if the work is put in -  sometimes what can happen is lads think when they're young that it's grand, that we'll get to a quarter final next year, we'll get to a semi next year, there's going to be progression. 

“But there's only progression if these lads put in more work. So that'll be the key now and again, it's key for me as manager of the senior team to make sure that's done now, that they progress as players so when next year comes around that we're better footballers. 

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“That's the biggest job for me now in the closed season, is that we improve these lads and make them better. And I think they will - they want to learn. Whatever's put there in front of them, they will learn. They want to get better but, at the same time, they're young lads. They have to enjoy themselves, but we will improve.”

For all his infectious positivity, Dominic admitted the result left him gutted: “We’re gutted. We were primed for a long season. We didn't have a great league campaign but we were always aiming at the championship when we got everyone back. So when the Championship came around and all the lads were around, we were going to give it a right go.”

Pinpointing where it went wrong for the challengers, Dominic pointed to Keith Beirne’s goal after halftime: “To be fair, that goal was a massive turning point. Mohill managed the game after so well, I think we got a two-pointer after that. From the very  next kick-out, they got a two-pointer and that was it, the game was done.

“They win the next kick-out, they hold the ball for two or three minutes and this thing was gone out of the game. Their game management was absolutely excellent, in fairness to them. They are a quality side, they've been around since what, 2013? 

“That group of players - their quality, their experience, the likes of Keith Beirne, Keith Keegan, Armstrong still going strong. In fairness to them, they're really, really good. They'll have a lot to say in this Championship, they'll not be far away, definitely not.”

For Dominic, his first experience as a Senior team manager was a very enjoyable one: “I have to say I absolutely loved it. A couple of evenings you come home and you go, oh jeez, the bit of hair I left you to pull out. But 90% of the time, I absolutely loved it, a really good bunch of lads.

“I know probably every manager says that about teams but I couldn't ask for more, to be honest. Evan Sweeney, our captain, he's been exceptional. He's just led by example and the lads feed into him then because of that. But overall, it's been an absolutely really good year. The boys, I think, have really bought in this year. 

“There's been no hassle, no grief. I've had absolutely no headaches from a management point of view, where I've had to go, oh lads, this is absolutely crap. Honestly, I've really enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to next year. - they'll have to keep me, but I'm sure they will.”