Award winner Gethins relishes Premier challenge

FINN Harps striker Conor Gethins has been named the eircom/Soccer Writers Association of Ireland Player of the Month for November.

Gethins, who has also just been named the PFAI’s First Division Player of the Year, picks up this latest award after three of his goals helped Harps back into the top flight at the expense of Waterford United in the promotion/relegation play off.

“I wasn’t expecting it whatsoever and I’m very surprised,” said Gethins, who finished the season as top scorer, with 15 goals, in the First Division.

“This is the first time in my career when things have really begun to fall into place for me. I’ve had a lot of people coming up to congratulate me over the First Division award and all I’ve said to them is that it’s down to hard work and the quality of the lads around me. Everyone says it but without them you can’t win anything.”

Gethins is already looking forward to the challenge of Premier Division football. “It’s going to be difficult next year and there’ll be a bit of nerves at the start,” he conceded, “but I think the main thing is that we get results in our first two or three games to give everyone a lift. We’re not arrogant but we are confident in our ability and I believe we’ve got a chance of doing well. We’ve got players like Shaun Holmes who has been a full international with Northern Ireland and not many players in the league can say that.

“Then there’s Stephen Parkhouse and someone like Tony Shields who has played plenty of games in England. I’m sure that if manager Paul Hegarty adds three, four or five quality players to the squad in the off season then I honestly feel we can finish above mid -table.”