Swilly Rovers can’t take foot off gas - Paul Callan

Paul Callan admits that he couldn’t have asked for any more of his Swilly Rovers side to date as they continue to lead the way in the Temple Domestic Appliances Division 1 of the Donegal Junior League.

With five games to go, Rovers hold a six-point lead over both Milford United and Gweedore Celtic. 

Callan, joint boss at Rovers with Laurence Toland, takes their charges to bottom of the table Drumkeen United on Sunday and that should mean another three points pinned to the board. 

Milford have a much trickier assignment as they host Letterkeny Rovers while Gweedore Celtic go to Donegal Town. Still, Callan insists it would be foolish in the extreme to start thinking about any of that in the lead-in. Rovers’ main aim is to simply keep winning.

If they do that then they will go on to seal promotion to the Premier Division as league champions. 

“Drumkeen picked up their first win last week against Letterbarrow. We just need to keep our momentum going. We certainly won’t be taking anything for granted on Sunday. There are 15 league points to still play for. 

“Gweedore Celtic are right there on our tails also. We haven’t gone out any week and been handled three easy points. We’ve had to work really hard for every single one of them”. 

Rovers’ aim at the beginning of the season was to make the jump to the top flight and secure Premier Division football for the Swilly Park outfit. Callan agrees that the end line is in sight but that any lapse in concentration could easily result in the wheels coming off those promotion ambitions.  

“It’s been a brilliant season so far,” Callan added. “Numbers have been excellent and the effort and attendances have been so encouraging. It’s a great boost for the club and a great boot for the locality also. 

“Every weekend, it’s a bit of an adventure. We played up in Donegal Town there a few weeks back and I’d say it’s a fair long time since Swilly Rovers played in the Hospital Field. So it’s been really good so far. 

“It’s a different experience. Back when we were in the Ulster Senior League, you might have been going  to the same old grounds every other week. But this has been a real change in that sense”.