LIMERICK FC defender Shaun Kelly believes that the side is good enough to continue the significant progress it has made in recent years.
The Donegal man has been with the Super Blues since July 2011, and in that time he has seen the club move from third in the First Division to mid-table in the Premier.
He stated that an improvement on the seventh place which they obtained last season would represent another good achievement for the club.
“It’s massive how much the club has come on from the days back in the First Division. It was great playing back there and winning the First Division. It’s the highlight of my career and it’s the only thing I’ve won to date so it will always stick in my mind.
“The club has come on massively and now we’re going on to play in the Premier Division for a second season in a row. We’ve come on leaps and bounds so hopefully this year we can build on what we did last year and kick on further.
“Last year we only came out of the First Division so the main aim was to stay in the Premier Division. I was always confident we would stay in it and that was the main thing. We did that and if we can improve from what we did last year then it will be a massive achievement. We finished 7th last year and if we can push on from that I think it would definitely be a good season.”
Kelly was one of Limerick’s most consistent defensive performers in the club’s return to the top flight last year, making 25 league appearances in a campaign that saw the back line changed on a near-weekly basis.
The Super Blues appeared to be more solid at the back towards the end of last season and Kelly, who turns 25 on Sunday, pointed out that there is plenty of competition for places in the Limerick defence.
“I think we’re looking strong on the defensive front. It’s good to have the same people for the second season. Sammy [Oji] has signed back and you’ve got Robbie [Williams], Stephen [Folan] and myself still there. You’ve got young Shane Costelloe and Colm Murphy so we have backup there which is good.
“We know each other and how we play and the gaffer has signed Mick Leahy so he’s built from the back this year. I think the defence is looking good and if we can hold our end I don’t see why we won’t score goals and win games with attacking options like Rory [Gaffney] and Craig [Curran], so hopefully we can do better than we did last year.”
