By Niall Gartland

LAVEY are heading in the right direction under the tutelage of club native Liam Maguire, who is determined to steer the team into Division One football.

Maguire helped steer Lavey to last year’s u-20 Division Two title in Cavan, so there’s talented players coming through the ranks, but Maguire believes that it’s imperative that they get into the top flight in the league if they’re to fulfil their undoubted potential.

That could well happen in the coming weeks as they’re guaranteed to finish in the play-off semi-final spots whatever happens in their final Division Two match, so it’s fair to say that Maguire is already making a positive impression in his first year at the helm of the seniors.

“There’s massive potential within the club. There’s a lot of young players coming through and we played three or four games this year where the average age was 20-21. We’re trying to help them along, it’s all about the players and trying to improve them.”

Lavey have fielded in the Senior Championship for a prolonged stint, but their last two campaigns have been shaky and they were in real danger of relegation to the Intermediate ranks. That’s another reason why Maguire believes it’s so important for them to play their league football at the highest level.

“When I was asked to come in and do the job, I knew the potential was there and our plan would’ve been to get these players to play in Division One. They have been competing and keeping their Senior status but they’ve been in Division Two this last ten years.

“Nothing happens overnight, it’s a two or three-year plan. They deserve to be playing Division One, they’ve been playing at that level the whole way through at underage.

“We really want to get out of Division Two and it mightn’t happen this year or next year, but it’s a big goal for us as it leaves us that wee bit behind going into the Senior Championship.”

Maguire has also enlisted Colin Malone as coach, with whom he has a familiar partnership. They worked together when Ballybay native Malone was in charge of Lavey a few years back before a stint at Corduff.

“I’m working with Colin this last four or five years. We did a year with him in Lavey and we got an opportunity to go to Corduff. We’ve been up there the last couple of years and then I asked him if he’d come back with me to Lavey and he was more than happy.”