‘We had a nice swagger’ - Kee

Kee was thrilled that despite all the problems of the pitch the players seem to put their Intermediate Cup disappointment behind them.

“I spoke to the players on Saturday before our game at Loughgall and you could see they are all flat about the Intermediate Cup, but they put in a big shift and gave their all at Loughgall and they are to be congregate for that,” admitted Kee.

“The pitch was decent at Loughgall and it meant that both sides could try and play decent football, so we played some neat football, but I have to admit the three goals that we conceded were really poor. It was a result of us being spread and we didn’t get into position quick enough and they hit us three times.

“That was disappointing, but we always looked as though we could score and then the fact that we went down 2-1 down and scored two quick goals proved that.

“It was good that we had a nice swagger to our game and it was noted by one or two people who were up the game and I have to give the players their due they did well under the circumstances.”

Kee also gave a special mention to skipper Paddy McLaughlin, who he hopes will be remaining at Drumahoe next season.

“We have lost Dean Carlyle, Thomas McBride and Mark Kelly, now that is going to happen at any club, but the main thing for me next season is trying to keep the hard core players of the team like Paddy, Neil Harkin, Declan McKeever, Dean Jarvis and Sean Roddy and then adding another four or five players.

“All those players have had stick able and they have been very consistent, they have always trained well and they have given their best.

“I would say that we were five defeats short of gaining promotion, now at the end of the day five defeats is 15 points, but the team isn’t that far away and more importantly I think we have tried to play a decent brand of football in a division which is very hard, most teams fight and scrap for everything and then you have to try and implement your own game, that has been difficult.

“But I have to give credit to the players probably more so to Paddy McLaughlin, because he has come at 30 years of age and really try to reinvent his game.

“He wants to play and do things offensively and also do his defending, he’s a good solid defender who is keen to learn, he keeps himself in fantastic shape and his training patterns are absolutely brilliant.

“He is always first there on a Tuesday and Thursday night for training and I think he epitomises what needs to be done at ’Stute and if we get another two or three like him then there is no reason why promotion couldn’t be on the horizon next season.”