Boss Coleraine was named Manager of the Year at the NI Football Awards after leading his team to League Cup glory and second place in the Premiership Danske Bank
But with the season cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Bannsiders will always wonder if they could have brought any eventual title winners
« That’s what it’s going to live with me for a long time, with seven or eight games left and that momentum left, » Kearney revealed
« I’m not saying we’ll never be in that position again, but at this point in this year of the league campaign you’ll never do it again
« We had been involved in a very close decision with the Crusaders two years ago and we got bitten on the last day, he had all the marks of this type of race again
« Even though we didn’t win the league that year, when you look back there were some brilliant memories and moments
« This is probably the most frustrating aspect – for a season as good as it has been, and as good as we had, it was disappointing not to see him on the pitch
« The other aspect is that if you had offered us European football at the start of the year, we would have taken that
Kearney, now in his second term at The Showgrounds after a brief stint at St Mirren, feels his squad has evolved into a team capable of fighting for the top honors now
« We came from a team that, probably in the first five or six years, put a lot of hope and thought into a League Cup race or an Irish Cup race , to become now a team that really wants to run in these competitions , but also have a high priority over the league, ”he said
“I remember a few first seasons especially when we were in the last week of February with 12 league games to play and no cups to play for, we were seventh or eighth in the table, and it had been really work difficult to finish a season
« Being in this field and being involved in the big game hype is exactly what you’re out there for
« We have a very good team, I think it’s the best team I’ve had here in a long time
« We also have a lot of different players who can answer different questions in relation to the different teams we play against
« We are well equipped from this point of view, we are still not very many, which could be the only concern because in February, March and April there are a lot of matches on Saturday / Tuesday
« We have that air of what could have been last season and we hope that it will help us fight the hunger for what will be this season, or what we can try and do this season »
Kearney, whose team will kick off the Premiership season tonight with a glamorous derby against Ballymena United, is already aiming to win the Manager of the Year in a row, as that will mean it’s another successful campaign for the Bannsiders
« As great as getting the trophy is, you normally won’t get it so close to the start of next season, so all eyes will be turning quickly to try and focus and start over for this season, » he declared
« This is not the last time I want to get my hands on it as it is a sign that your club is in a good position across the board and if we hold the trophy again next season it means that we had a good season
« It’s great to stand up and hold the trophy, but it’s a great testimony to all of those whose pace of work and commitment has been fantastic and it’s a great reward for all »
Coleraine FC, Ballymena United FC, Linfield FC, Oran Kearney, NIFL Premiership, Premier League Manager of the season, Northern Ireland, Irish Cup, Glentoran FC
News from world – GB – Moment « what if » by Oran Kearney
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
