Former Cliftonville and Glentoran star reveals role of manager who 'knows football inside out' in January Irish League transfer
Former Cliftonville star Jamie McDonagh admits the exciting vision of manager Lee Feeney enticed him to Bangor and he now wants to play his part in helping them win the Championship title.
McDonagh has made the move to Clandeboye Park on loan from Portadown for the rest of this season and came off the bench during Friday’s defeat to Newry City to mark his debut.
The 28-year-old has significant Irish League experience having spent time on the books of Glentoran, Cliftonville and the Ports, alongside loan spells at Glenavon and Newry, while his other previous clubs include Greenock Morton, Sligo Rovers and Derry City.
McDonagh helped the Reds win the BetMcLean Cup under Paddy McLaughlin in 2022, starting in their extra-time final victory over Coleraine where both Joe Gormley and Paul O’Neill netted braces, and will now hope to help get Bangor over the line in the pursuit of Premiership promotion.
Feeney’s side currently hold a six-point advantage over second-placed Limavady United and are eight better off than H&W Welders in third.
Former Sheffield United youngster McDonagh says Feeney played a big role in helping him choose Bangor as his next destination and is excited for a first taste of Northern Ireland’s second-tier.
“The environment around the club (appealed to me),” McDonagh told the club’s website. “I spoke to Feeno – very, very positive person who knows football inside out.
“So, it’s not like he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he does and you can see that by the performances and results the team were getting and it’s rubbing off on the players.
“He’s got in a good group of players. The likes of Spike (Matthew Ferguson), who’s obviously scored a lot of goals, Ribsy’s (Robbie Garrett) Premiership experience, Tiarnan Mulvenna – he’s enticed a lot of good players here.
“He’s a good football person and knows football inside out, so it’s just a challenge that I thought I was probably ready for.
“I’m at the right age where I want to go into a team that’s doing well and actually enjoy my football because I haven’t enjoyed it the last couple of years, it’s been difficult.
“So, it’s something new and something I’m looking forward to and I’m happy to be here.
“It’s definitely going to be good for me because, even though I haven’t played in the Championship before, the squad here is definitely capable of playing in the Premiership.
“Playing in the Championship, it was definitely something that appealed to me.
“I’ve played a lot of games in the Premiership and been in good teams and won trophies at Cliftonville, so it’s a different test for me but it’s a test I’m looking forward to.
“Feeno was the person who enticed me here, and obviously the team’s doing well which was a big factor as well.”
McDonagh’s skillset could suit Bangor perfectly with two in-form strikers – Matthew Ferguson has netted 17 league goals this season while partner Ben Arthurs has 12 – potentially set to benefit from his deliveries.
“You’ve got two good strikers, it’s a formation that if you get the ball wide and get balls into the box, the players in the box are going to score goals,” he added. “So, it suits me down to a tee.
“That’s what I do as a winger, and all I want to do is get crosses into the box and give the opportunities for the strikers to get on the end of things.
“The strikers thrive off crosses into the box, you can see that through the performances and where we’re sitting in the league and the goals they’ve scored.
“So, it definitely suits me more than how other teams might’ve suited me, which is also a factor for me coming here.
“It’s a style of play that I like and I think I would thrive in, so it’s just down to really getting in and getting fit and, from there, it’s down to me to do the business on the pitch.”