Shane McGinty content to embrace the strengths as Kildrum Tigers stay true to DNA

Player-manager Shane McGinty says Kildrum Tigers are content to keep playing to their strengths.

McGinty’s robust Tigers bore their teeth on Sunday in a 1-0 win over Bonagee United at Dry Arch Park.

Ronan McKinley’s goal midway through the first half proved the sole separator as Kildrum knocked a big chink into Bonagee’s hopes of dethroning title holders Letterkenny Rovers.

For their part, the Tigers have had something of a frustrating campaign so far, the St Johnston outfit posting three wins and three losses from their seven outings.

“I have absolutely no idea where we stand to be honest,” midfielder McGinty says after Sunday’s win.

“I don't think we're challenging for a title at this moment in time, I'd be lying if I said that we were. We were just delighted to get a win at Bonagee and have a decent performance, I thought we were decent last week as well, but we just didn't get the three points against Keadue whereas we got them in Bonagee.”

Kildrum have conceded only six goals so far and in each of the previous four seasons they had the second best defensive record in the Premier Division.

The likes of William Lynch, Keenan Diver, CJ Clarke and Duncan Patterson give his unit a real physical presence, particularly in the aerial tussles. The combative tools of Jamie McKinney, Johnny Robb and Frankie McBrearty add to Kildrum’s battling qualities.

McGinty says:  “I’ll be honest I've tried to change it maybe at times and tried to be a possession-based team and pass the ball, I suffered. It's kind of going back to the Kildrum DNA: really good defenders in the team and defend from the front back. 

“We've always had a good striker the likes of Kevin McHugh and now Johnny Robb that can always pick you up a ball and we’ve a bit of quality throughout the pitch. 

“I would imagine we're one of the teams that concede the least in the league. Every game is difficult as well in that sense. I suppose when you have players of that makeup like the likes of Diver, Duncan, CJ, ‘Farmer’ (Lynch), you're a threat in both boxes and you play to your strengths. 

“I would love to have flying wingers and flying forwards. We have a lot of big strong men who defend so just play to the strengths. We have what we have we're not going to bring in a lot of players we don't have that luxury. So we play to what we have.”

McKinley unleashed a super strike to prove the decisive moment in Sunday’s encounter in Bonagee.

A sturdy performance ensured that Bonagee wouldn’t breach the Tigers reargue.

McGinty says: “Ronan scored a brilliant goal, a goal worthy to win any game but I felt like Bonagee really ramped it up in that second half. I was a relieved man at the end of the 90 minutes to come away with the three points to be honest. It was kind of one of them games, there wasn't many chances, there wasn't much in the goal mouth. It was going to take a moment of magic - and that's how it proved.

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“Ronan's goal was a brilliant bit of quality. There were a few half chances from both and then later on Bonagee were really putting the pressure on us and we caught them a few times in the break without maybe getting that second and putting it to bed. We were always there for that late goal, the kind of sucker punch, but thankfully it didn't come. 

“Every game is so so difficult now I'll be honest we're looking over our shoulder at times, maybe not so much as looking ahead but three points here, delighted. We go to Donegal Town next after the break for the Oscar Traynor and hopefully we’ll get another good performance, good result.”