Irish League boss aiming for 'stability across the board' before setting sights on Premiership promotion
Loughgall manager Darren Murphy admits he’d love to be challenging for promotion back to the Premiership come the end of this season – but his main aim is bringing “stability across the board” at Lakeview Park.
Murphy was named as Dean Smith’s successor at the Co Armagh club towards the end of last term when Loughgall’s second-tier relegation fate had essentially been sealed after two seasons in Northern Ireland’s top-flight.
For the first time in Murphy’s career – playing or management – the former Linfield star is plying his trade in the Championship with Loughgall only losing one of their opening nine matches.
Having drawn five of those, the Villagers sit nine points behind unbeaten leaders Annagh United at this early stage with the likes of H&W Welders and Limavady United also chasing promotion.
After watching Newry City suffer consecutive relegations from the Premiership to the Premier Intermediate League, Murphy wants to ensure his club are strong across all departments before setting sights on the top-flight.
"I'd say if you ask a lot of people around the club the aim is probably to get back to the Premiership,” he told the club’s media channel. “That's what everyone wants because the club spent two years in it and everybody loved it.
"For me, it's trying to bring a bit of stability...it's not that I'm being negative. If you look at teams that suffered Premiership relegation previously, Newry being the last one and the team before that Warrenpoint, they suffered relegation again.
"Newry went into the PIL and so had Warrenpoint but they've got back into the Championship.
"It's always going to be difficult because you're seen as the team that came out of the Premiership.
"There has been a big overhaul of players, a lot of players have left the club, there's been new players that came in and some have stayed. That can take a bit of time bedding that in. That was always going to be the case.
"My aim first and foremost is stability across the board. Certainly I'd like to be challenging, there's no question about that. We've lost one game in our opening eight so that part has been good.
"You want to challenge yourself and I have a group of players and staff that want to really challenge themselves as well.
"Every game has been a real challenge and it's new to me because I've spent most of my time in the League of Ireland and the Premiership in Northern Ireland. I've really enjoyed the challenge."