Sean Coll and Glenea United looking to stick pace in First Division title battle

Sean Coll says it’s too close to call at the top of the Donegal League Division One table as Gleanea United look to fend off the late challenge of Donegal Town, Lagan Harps and Ballybofey United

With two games left to play each, Coll’s Glenea currently lead the way by just a single point with Marty Byrne’s charges breathing down their necks.

In third place, just two adrift of Glenea coattails are Lagan Harps and, in fourth spot, Ballybofey are five off parity.

Coll says the Donegal League second tier has been a real minefield this term with so many sides taking points off one another.

Glenea go away to Gweedore United on Sunday before finishing up with a home encounter against Castlefin Celtic.

Donegal Town are looking forward to hosting Lifford Celtic at the weekend while their final outing is another home tie, this time against Ballybofey United.

Lagan Harps visit Cranford on Sunday and end the season at home to Gweedore United. Ballybofey’s last pair of fixtures are a derby tussle in Dreenan with Cappry Rovers and a visit to Donegal Town on the last day.

As things stand, all four sides are in with a shout of a league title success in the next fortnight. But approaching that run-in, the message from Coll is very simple. Win both their remaining fixtures and they’ll be champions.

“It’s so close and it’s been such a tough division” he explained. “Had we got three points in Ballybofey it would have really set us up.

“We were lucky to get away with a point in the end. Yeah, we could have won it but we could easily have lost it too. It was a mad game.

“But if anyone told us at the start of the season we’d be two games off, with it in our own hands, to win the league we’d have taken that all day long.

“But we’re looking at two very tough games. Gweedore United is massive and they’d love to wobble us. If the shoe was on the other foot we’d be doing everything we could to deny them.

“So we completely understand where they’ll be coming from at the weekend. Like, to have four sides in it going into the last day it just shows you it’ll be a hard-earned title for whoever does win it.

“We haven’t had any easy games. We’ve had to be on it every single week. Like, I don’t think we’re guaranteed anything as it stands, promotion or a play-off.

“But we can’t get too bogged down in that. The important thing is we are top, in the driving seat and we simply have to win our last two games. But any slip up and it’ll definitely cost us”.

If Glenea do manage to secure promotion, regardless of the means, Coll says it would be a huge thing for the group to be back amongst the Donegal League’s elite.

“It’s a good, young squad and they want to get up and play at the highest level they can. We have a few old stagers still hanging on and if we did get promoted it might be an incentive for that group to remain around.

“We have had great interest this year, the numbers have been great. We’ve had 18 to 24 most nights. They’re back at the Gaelic now some of them.

“We’re training once a week now and we allow the Gaelic to keep them fit and we use our session to work on technical stuff.

“At this stage of the season, that’s nothing new. Most other clubs are in that same boat. But to be in contention, it just means there is still that real interest and buy in”.