IRISH LEAGUE PREVIEW: Harry McConkey highlights his Championship title favourites

McConkey, who led Ballinamallard to the 2018/19 Irish Cup final and guided them to a second-placed Championship finish the following season, will start his fifth second-tier campaign when his side get underway at Blanchflower Park against the Welders on Saturday.

Four of those seasons have ended with Ballinamallard securing a top-six spot – a run which came to an end last term – and he’s expecting the standard to increase once again this time around.

"I've never known the Championship to be anything other than competitive,” he said. “You see it in England as well - never mind predicting who will win the league, you couldn't predict week to week.

"Bangor have came in, Stevie Small has settled at Ballyclare, Tommy Canning is building at Dergview, Institute have a freshness under Kevin Deery.

"The Championship is full of personalities on and off the pitch and they've added great colour with the ripple effect of what's going on above us in the Premiership.

"The full-time teams are very keen to get game time into their players and are quick to loan them out.

"We're seeing that type of quality now that none of our Championship clubs could possibly afford on a permanent basis but you see them enter our league.

"They are crying out for game time and that can raise the standard. You're going to see a very colourful and exciting NIFL Championship."

McConkey has great respect for Welders boss Paul Kee and feels his appointment has taken Saturday’s opponents to another level.

"It's a brilliant game for us - it's the nearest thing to going to Windsor Park in terms of facilities!" he said. “Paul is a very astute manager and that was a very sharp appointment...there has been a big change there in their playing stage and sheer level of professionalism.

"To me, they are a team that are real Championship contenders...them and Portadown have invested heavily and have two great squads, they have big squads but I know it's hard keeping big squads happy and it's a great art."

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