THESE WERE THE weeks for which Nigel McMonagle made the move to Glengad United last year.
McMonagle’s switch from his native Moville Celtic to The Crua was the big transfer in the Inishowen League in the summer, but the attacker’s decision has been vindicated as he heads into a busy month.
The Ulster Junior Cup has already been bagged and Glengad are vying for honours in the League, the League Cup and the Charlie O’Donnell Cup.
First up, though, they face four-in-a-row Ulster Senior League champions Cockhill Celtic in this Sunday’s Knockalla Caravans Cup final at Maginn Park (kick-off 5pm).
Picture caption: Nigel McMonagle in action for Glengad United against Derry City Reserves in the Knockalla Caravans Cup semi-final. Picture courtesy of The Jungle View.
“You couldn’t not enjoy this,” says McMonagle. It’s great to be involved in an end-of-season like this.
“Everyone wants to be winning games and these big games at the end of a season are what any footballer would want.”
Glengad, the defending Inishowen League champions, set up a winner-takes-all final game of the season when they defeated Culdaff 2-1 at Caratra Park on Sunday.
On Sunday-week they take on Clonmany Shamrocks in Shamrock Park. The two sides are locked on points going into that crunch clash, set up by the goals from Seamus Doherty and Terence Doherty in Culdaff.
Of his move to join Shane Byrne’s dynasty at Glengad, McMonagle says: “I wanted to give myself a challenge. Going into Glengad, I wasn’t guaranteed anything. They’d won the League and numerous Cups so I had to go there and prove my worth.
[adrotate group=”62″]“I played with a lot of them at the Oscar Traynor team and know them well. I’ve really enjoyed this season.”
Cockhill have swept the boards in recent seasons in the USL. On Wednesday night, they wrapped up their fourth League title in a row. If they avoid defeat in their final League game against Letterkenny Rovers, it’ll be four League campaigns without a loss.
The challenge is a ferocious one for Glengad, but one they want to meet head on.
“We’re up against the best intermediate team in Ulster,” McMonagle says. It’ll be a big challenge for us.
[adrotate group=”43″]“We’re going from junior to intermediate here. Cockhill have some fantastic players there.
“They set up very similar to us, they like to play ball on the ground so it should be a good game. We’ll be underdogs, but it’s a Cup final and if we play to our ability we’ll give it a good go.”
Glengad caused something of a minor upset when they defeated Derry City Reserves 3-2 in the semi-final on a day when McMonagle, Seamus Doherty and Terence Doherty bagged the goals.
[adrotate group=”46″]McMonagle believes the busy schedule is working to the advantage of Glengad.
He says: “The advantage that we have is the number of games we’re playing. Getting games played is better than any training session. You get into a run of games, it’s only a good thing.”
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