Harkin and Bonagee United hungry to challenge for silverware

Bonagee United’s Gareth Harkin is looking for the side to push on and challenge for trophies this season on as many fronts as possible.

The Dry Arch Park men were runners-up in the Brian McCormick Premier Division and the Letterkenny Area Shield last season, while they were beaten by Cockhill Celtic in the quarter-final of the Ulster Junior Cup.

It left them without silverware for a second season in a row as they again were runners-up to Letterkenny Rovers, and midfielder Harkin is hopeful they can get their hands on some silverware this season.

But Bonagee are yet to be beaten this season, and Sunday’s 3-0 win against a side that went unbeaten in all three domestic competitions last season in Letterkenny Rovers was a big scalp to take early in the season.

“It’s a good day for the club because we had a tough season last year, we weren’t even challenging for anything and they set the standard,” Harkin said after the game.

“We didn’t do enough in those big games last year, they beat us twice, and that can be the difference in this league when there are only 18 games, and when you play each other, you need to give a good account of yourself.

“It’s our home patch, and we want to make it somewhere that people don’t want to come.

“We’re quietly getting on with our business, and we’re trying to take each game as it comes. We have another tough test away to Fanad coming up, and we had a difficult game away to Kildrum the week before. It’s great to have these big games, and I think the league is even stronger than it was last year with the teams that have come up, and every game is tough.

“But we’re looking forward to playing Fanad. We want to challenge for trophies this year because, as I said, we didn’t even get close to one last year, so this time around we want to challenge for something.”

A Shay Maloney brace and a second half strike from Dan O’Donnell gave the hosts a deserved win over last season’s pace setters, and Harkin was delighted with the effort from the full team.

“It was a great win, I was most pleased about the clean sheet because they were the top team last year, who went unbeaten, so it was a tough test and we limited them to a couple of chances and it was nice to get the win.

“We scored three, and we could’ve scored more on another day, so that was another pleasing part, but the clean sheet was the real thing I was proud of.

“The boys did very well up front, Josh (Maxwell) and Shay. We have a lot of young fellas in the team, so it’s great for their confidence when they get a goal in a big game.”

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Harkin spent a number of seasons playing in midfield for Finn Harps alongside Michael Funston, who is now his manager at the club, succeeding another former Harps teammate in Packie Mailey.

It’s a different dynamic, but Harkin insists it hasn’t changed too much.

“Myself and Mickey would be best friends, I’ve known him a long time and he’s a great man. He loves the club and his father, Eric, is the chairman, so Bonagee runs through his veins.

“It’s a bit different when you’re chatting to him as the manager, there’s not as much you can say about boys!

“But it’s great for him so far in his first year. He was a bit hesitant about taking the job, but I’m glad he has taken it. He knows everything about the club, he’s a great pro himself, and he’s played at the top, so it’s good for the young fellas to take on board his advice."