IT’S been 12 years since Enniskillen Town last got their hands on the Mercer League — and Ryan Hanna knows that clock has been ticking long enough.
Town have been the side to catch in two of the last three seasons, yet the title has eluded them. Last term, Hanna’s first as player-manager, they looked primed to end the wait, until the heartbreak of a Junior Cup final defeat to Ardmore on penalties.
Four straight league losses followed, and with them went the title to Killen. The equally dramatic Mulhern Cup triumph in May softened the blow, but there’s no escaping the feeling that it could have been more.
“We had a long challenging, rewarding year last year and we would bite the hand off anyone that would offer us it again. So, the aim is to go one step further. We want the Mulhern Cup again and to win the two trophies that passed us by,” says Hanna.
Brian Keenan has joined the backroom team, while the squad remains largely intact after a curiously quiet summer on the transfer front.
The standout return is Adam Breen, linking up with brother Jordan. New signing Callum Frempong has arrived from Fivemiletown United, where he was a near ever-present at Intermediate level last season.
Jake Smith will also bolster the defence, with Hanna adding it’ll be exciting to see the new arrivals develop — with possibly one or two more signings to come.
Town lifted the season-opening Kennedy Cup on Friday with a 3-1 win over Killen. If anything, that hinted at more of the same from a side that proved tough to beat last year.
Frempong and Breen both played the full 90 in a line-up largely unchanged from last season, with Cathal Beacom and Duwayne McManus, alongside Hanna, continuing to provide a formidable spine and depth in midfield.
Hanna knows the challenge now is building on his hugely promising first year.
“The aim is to win everything we’re in and we start that on Saturday. The lads are hungry and ready to go again, so hopefully come May we’ll be challenging on all fronts.”