*David Russell on the sideline in Roslevan. Photograph: Natasha Barton
IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH of guiding Avenue Utd to a first League and Cup double in eleven years, winning manager David Russell was already eyeing up future success with the club.
Ollie Byrnes published a history of the Ennis soccer club in 2008 to mark its twenty fifth anniversary but when any updated publication is produced, David Russell will be featuring prominently.
Indeed, the Clarecastle native made his own bit of history by becoming the first person to captain and manage the club to win the double.
Their League decider against Newmarket Celtic was one of the toughest contests they faced this year. “It couldn’t have gone any harder, it went right down to the wire, it was unbelievable, I’m looking out at the players, they got us there and we’re only the facilitators or the lads that organised the training to get them fit, once they cross the white line they are the boys to do the business and they’ve done it all year”.
He added, “This is our fortieth game this season, it shows how far we’ve come to have played forty games, we’ve won thirty four games this season and scored about 150 goals, it’s been unbelievable, the players out there are the heroes, I’m delighted and it’s great to have my little man Aidan here with me, he’s been through the journey too, I need to decompress for a few days to take it all in, Dylan Casey the skipper with the equaliser a right foot volley – unbelievable. Credit to Newmarket, they are absolute champions, we said there would be a kickback and they were unbelievable, they fought for every ball, they were like dogs and they put us to the pin of our collar, thankfully we’ve come out on the other side”.
Ordinarily, the ex centre-half would admit to being calm in the minutes subsequent to the final whistle but as he spoke with The Clare Echo his blood pressure was beginning to drop following a pulsating finale. “Now we’ve had the celebrations I’ve stepped out of it, it’s unreal, my head is thumping, I need to decompress and step back out of it. All credit to the players and the club, the support they’ve given us meant we haven’t been left wanting for anything, John O’Malley, Gearoid Mannion, Jimmo and the boys kept the pitch in top condition. The best team always wins the league, we’re top of the table, we were the best team this year and now we’re going to push on”.
Ending a trophy drought that began in 2013 was important for the club’s first team, Russell stressed. “It’s been a long time and you can see what it means to everybody, all the old guns are out here, all the boys who supported us through thick and thin, it’s brilliant and great to see”.
Of the environment in Roslevan, Russell remarked, “I’ve never seen an atmosphere like that in Roslevan, the crowd was unbelievable, we were under pressure but at 1-0 we knew a goal would get us back into this, we didn’t panic, at half time we were composed, we didn’t play as well as we had during the year but that is credit to Newmarket, they were like dogs of war but we kept our composure and didn’t lose our shape, we could have got caught but James Tierney narrowed the angles and over the course of the season we deserved the win”.
