Felixstowe & Walton United boss Kevin O’Donnell: We are not in Thurlow Nunn Premier title race
Felixstowe & Walton United boss Kevin O'Donnell - Credit: Lucy Taylor
Despite now sitting just three points behind Thurlow Nunn Premier Division league-leaders Hadleigh United, Felixstowe & Walton boss Kevin O’Donnell still refuses to believe that his side are in the race for the title.
At one stage in the season, Felixstowe were a good 20 points behind Stuart Crawford’s Hadleigh, but with the Seasiders going from strength to strength and the Brettsiders somewhat capitulating, a win for Felixstowe tomorrow in a Red Insure Cup Final rehearsal against Newmarket and a defeat for Hadleigh away to fellow title-challengers Gorleston would incredibly draw the Seasiders level on points with the Brettsiders.
Felixstowe have gone about their business in solid but also spectacular fashion this campaign, producing consistent results throughout which has also seen them reach the Suffolk FA Premier Cup Final and the Red Insure Cup Final.
But O’Donnell laughed off any ideas that Felixstowe could achieve a famous Manchester United 1999 style treble.
“We’ve got the two cup games to look forward to at the end of the season but as far as the title race is concerned nothing has changed in my eyes,” claimed O’Donnell. “It’s not in our control.
“I don’t think you’re in the title race when you’re reliant on others results which we are, having said that, we never expected to be in this position at the end of the season.
“We look like we are going to finish in a top five position this season and I’m just more than happy with that – that’s an excellent achievement and then of course we’ve got the added bonus of the two cup finals.”
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O’Donnell paid testament to his players, who have astonishingly lost just once in their last 16 games – a home defeat to promotion-hopefuls Brightlingsea Regent.
“I think Hadleigh were 22 points clear of us at one stage and to be within three of them just shows how fantastic the lads have been,” added O’Donnell.
Asked whether he regretted that 3-1 home defeat to Brightlingsea, in regards to the title-race, O’Donnell nonchalantly replied: “I do look at that result, but not as in ‘what if’.
“I look it as we’ve got two home games left in the league and if we manage to get through those unbeaten, the Brightlingsea game will be the only one we’ve lost at home (including cup games as well).
“On the day they were better than us, I have no complaints and we didn’t perform, but it would’ve been a fantastic achievement.”