Pat Devlin: 'I think what we've achieved - with the budget and the young players we have is magnificent'

Andrew Dempsey reports from Stradbrook Road

Pat Devlin admitted his delight after his side confirmed their spot in the First Division Playoffs with a routine 3-1 win over Athlone Town on Friday evening.

The result caps off a fine campaign for the highly unfancied Green and Whites – who were tipped to finish in the bottom half of the First Division table.

“It’s been a long, hard season for us,” the Cabinteely boss Devlin told extratime.ie.  

“The football side of this club is fantastic. I think what we’ve achieved, with the budget we have, and the young players is magnificent.

“It’s a job that’s unfinished and there’s so much more to do. I think we’ve underachieved slightly this year.

“Reaching the top four is great but we’ve underachieved off the pitch in attracting more support and things like that so hopefully that will improve.

“Hopefully they can come see us in the Playoffs but it’s a great achievement for the staff and the players, but it has been extremely hard work.”

The 66-year-old former Bray Wanderers manager added; “It has been an emotional few weeks for a few reasons, but this club is a good club.

“We’re trying to go from one end of the club to another and make it a better place. It’s very difficult and it’s financially tough on them all.

“But what we’ve achieved this time to get in the top four has been magnificent. We’ve been in the top four all season and we’ve only been beaten five times, the same as Shelbourne who have gone on and won the league.

“We messed up during the middle of the season because we didn’t have the back-up in playing staff because we didn’t have the finance but overall, it’s fantastic to be in the top four particularly all season.

“Let’s see what we can do now. It’s a new campaign – with a two-legged game against either Longford or Drogheda and we’ll see where that takes us.”