By Jonathan Brown sport@mourneobserver.com
BALLYNAHINCH Olympic continued their fine run of form with a 3-0 victory over Bryansburn Rangers on Saturday. The result means Olympic’s winning run in the Amateur League 1B division has now stretched to four games, as they bounced back from a first-round exit in the Steel and Sons Cup at the hands of East Belfast and a disappointing 6-1 league defeat to local rivals Killyleagh.
Club captain Jason Noade says it bodes well for a positive season ahead. “It’s a positive start, we’re coming off the back of four wins and four clean sheets, so we’ve very much got our defence sorted. “We’ve potentially got a few new signings coming in after the championship [Down GAA Club Championship], so if we can keep this run going until then, it’s definitely looking good for the future.”
Olympic could bring in as many as four players from the St Colman’s Drumaness Gaelic football team once their championship campaign ends, but club stalwart Noade says keeping all their players from last season could prove just as important as those potential new signings. “We’ve maintained our squad from last season, and that was the main starting point for us. “Last season was about consolidating and making sure we stayed in 1B, and we reached mid-table, which is where I was thinking we would finish. “So it’s big to have all the players from last year stay, with a year of experience in the league under their belt,” Noade explained.
The club have also been boosted by the return of Liam Sloan as joint manager alongside Barry McGoran and the decision by Nathan Jones to postpone his retirement for another year. Sloan guided Olympic to the Amateur League Premier Division in 2018 and a Border Cup win in 2020, while Jones was a crucial member of that squad. “He’s a great manager to have on board to give Barry a bit of help this year. It means they can split the roles a little bit.
