Fanad continue their steady rise back - Arthur Lynch

While Arthur Lynch wants Fanad United to keep their feet on the ground, there’s no question that the Triagh-A-Loch man yearn for silverware.

These are early days in the news, but a 4-2 win over Bonagee United on Monday night moved Fanad into second in the Premier Division.

It’s their first time back in the top flight of the junior grade since they left to form the Ulster Senior League in 1986.

The 14-times USL champions and two-time FAI Intermediate Cup winners returned to junior football in 2020.

“We had to take a step back for the good of the club,” former centre-back Lynch told Donegal Live.

Caolan McFadden will target a home gold in Downings

Cranford AC's Caolan McFadden has been in excellent form as the countdown continues to the National Cross Country Championships in Downings on November 20

“Sometimes you just have to regroup.  People are interested again. We have a great group of young players now.

They were playing in the Ulster Senior League and 16 and 17. They were grand for 60 or 70 minutes but, after that, they were punished.

“They are 22 and 22 now and that makes a huge difference. They’re keen and they’re willing to train and willing to play. That’s all anyone can ask.”

Fanad won the Division 1 title last season and have had an encouraging start to life in the top flight. Unbeaten now in their opening four League outings, they have derby rivals Rathmullan Celtic arriving at Triagh-A-Loch on Sunday.

Lynch said: “This is new to us now. These are new sides for us, bar Rathmullan and St Catherine’s This is a strong League and you have to be on the game all the time.

“We’ll not get anything easy from Rathmullan. They’ll be buoyant after a big result in Glenea (winning 3-1) at the weekend. 

“You can’t take any side in this League for granted. Donegal Town were top coming up to Christmas last year and they were relegated.”

Seamie ‘Nanny’ Friel, Dylan Dorrian, Keelin McElwaine and Martin McElhinney were among the absentees on Monday night when Fanad, having been 2-0 down, won at Dry Arch Park, where Eoin Logue, twice, Edward O’Reilly and Paddy McGinley netted the goals.

Lynch said: “We have a lot of leaders out there. They mightn’t be the oldest, but they’re digging in.

“We’re delighted with that. We weren’t at the races in the first 20 minutes and Bonagee deserved to be 2-0 ahead.

“All we could do was see what the character of the boys was like and before we got to half-time, it was 2-2. They did that themselves.”

Lynch had many glory days in the red and black stripes as a player.

Although he insists the aims remain modest - ‘the only target now is Rathmullan’, he says - the old will to win doesn’t leave.

He said: “Every team wants to win a trophy. Otherwise, what’s the point? You have to have some sort of an aim and ambition. 

“That doesn’t mean shouting it from the rooftops, but every team wants to be as high as they can. Everyone wants trophies.”