PAUL HEGARTY BELIEVES that Finn Harps must aim as high as they can for the remainder of the 2016 season.
Hegarty was recently appointed as Ollie Horgan’s new assistant manager and the Ballindrait native, a former Harps player and manager, says they should look up and now down.
Harps, currently in ninth spot with 20 points from 17 games, could go level with fifth-placed Galway United tomorrow night with a win over the Tribesmen at Finn Park.
Hegarty will be back in the Harps dugout for the first time in seven years tomorrow night.
[adrotate group=”50″]“I never look any further than the next game,” Hegarty told Donegal Sport Hub, “but what I have said to players is that the team above you, catch them. If we beat Galway, we go level with them and St Pat’s.
“Three points should be our target on Friday night. If we get them, the League table will look very healthy.”
Hegarty was Harps manager from December 2006 until his resignation for personal reasons in May 2009.
He won promotion to the Premier Division in 2007, but his side was relegated in the 2008 season that was Harps last stint in the top flight until this campaign.
That 2008 term is one that Hegarty called ‘easily the most disappointing thing that ever happened me in football.’
He said: We got relegated by a point. It was so, so disappointing.”
Hegarty has previously managed Institute and was caretaker manager of Derry City for the latter part of last season following Peter Hutton’s departure from the Brandywell.
Hegarty played for Harps in the 1990s, but following the sacking of Patsy McGowan in the 1995/96 season, Hegarty never played for the club again and moved to Derry City.
Hegarty said: “When I was growing up I went to watch my football at Finn Park. You can’t get away from that.
“You make decisions, sometimes they work out well and sometimes they don’t. The decisions I’ve made have always been for football reasons.
[adrotate group=”37″]“It is difficult at times. Sometimes you make good decisions and sometimes you make bad ones, but as long as they’re for the right reasons you won’t be far away.”
Hegarty has been manager of Institute in the Irish League and had spells as assistant manager at Derry City. Last season, he was caretaker manager at Derry for the latter part of the season, turning down the opportunity to take on the role of manager at the Brandywell.
He said: “I’ve been around senior football for a long number of years and have had good times and bad. People will be wondering what’s he at but circumstances change and I’m coming into give Ollie a dig out.”
[adrotate group=”38″]Hegarty has always been an avid follower of the League of Ireland and has been impressed by the endeavour of Harps since the appointment of Horgan.
He said: “I remember when Ollie came in, Harps had nothing to play for towards the end of his first season. Every single game, every player gave him a shift for 90 minutes.
“I thought: ‘If you can get a shift when they have nothing to play for, they’ll be in with a chance of winning football matches when they have something to play for’.”
Listen to the full interview below …
https://soundcloud.com/donegalsporthub-club-notes/finn-harps-new-assistant-manager-paul-hegarty
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