WITH THE ANGUISH of relegation still weighing heavy on his shoulders, Gavan Holohan received an intriguing offer from a former coach.
Last season’s restructure to a ten-team Premier Division saw Galway United go down along with Finn Harps and Drogheda United, despite the Tribesmen showing encouraging signs in the latter stages of the year.
“It was a disappointing end on a personal level and for everyone affiliated with the club,” the Kilkenny native says. “It’s a good club and I think we just ran out of games because our form in the second half the season was pretty good. It was up there with the best in the league.
“You hope that they’ll be back in the Premier Division next year. They have a decent squad for the First Division, so I’ll be looking out and hoping they get promoted.”
Playing in the second tier of Irish football was never an option for the midfielder and, having worked with Alan Reynolds during their time at Cork City, Holohan was open to the idea of linking up again at newly-promoted Waterford.
“I had a good relationship with Renny and we’ve always kept in touch,” he says. “He was onto me the season before when Waterford were in the First Division and said ‘Listen, I know it’d be difficult to get you down here’. I told him it would be something I’d be interested in if they got promoted.
“He gave me a call, came up to Kilkenny one afternoon and we sat down for a chat. It seemed like the best option for the both of us.”
In action against Cork City's Kieran Sadlier for Galway last season. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
Businessman, former Ireland B international and Swindon Town owner Lee Power took control at the RSC in early 2017. Since then, significant funds have been made available to improve facilities, strengthen the squad and put the right people in place to make a club that won six league titles in eight years during the 1960s and 70s successful once again.
Although he stepped down last month to work as a consultant on Power’s worldwide projects, former Shelbourne and Bohemians boss Pat Fenlon had a major say in the rebuilding last year as director of football.
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Holohan has been extremely impressed with the lengths Waterford have gone to in order to ensure the players perform to their optimum level on match day.
“Along with a few of the new lads who have come into the club, I’ve been surprised with how professional and organised it is,” he explains. “You can see that everything has been put in place to for us to be successful and you can see how ambitious the club is with all the backroom staff, conditioning coaches, gym sessions, food after games and little things like that.
They make the difference and things are being done right. No stone is being unturned and you see the benefits of that. It can lead to good performances and that’s what it has done for us so far this season.”
The squad that lifted the First Division last season possessed plenty of experience with players like ex-Bohemians and Doncaster Rovers midfielder Paul Keegan and Kenny Browne, formerly of Cork City, arriving.
But they have since added more options all over the pitch and the Blues looked in good shape heading into the season curtain-raiser last month.
“From the minute I came in I could see the quality in the team and the standard of players that were being brought into the club, along with the ones that had been kept from last season,” says Holohan.
“There was big potential, with a mix of young players and a lot of experience, which is important. It’s always difficult to go off the pre-season games because they’re a bit false. We were decent but it was just whether we could keep up those performances once the season started.
“There was a bit of pressure going into the first game but once we got the first win under the belt it was just about keeping that momentum going and luckily we’ve been able to keep the ball rolling.”
Captain Paul Keegan has a wealth of experience. Seb Daly
Seb Daly
Seven league matches in, Waterford have five wins and two defeats — against champions Cork City and their title rivals Dundalk — to their name. 26-year-old Holohan has slotted into the team nicely and says he’s enjoying his football in the south-east.
“It’s easy playing with that quality of player and we have a really good standard, especially in the midfield area. You need to have a strong core to your team, not just in midfield but at the back too. If you look at the two boys [Browne and Dave Webster], they’ve both got good experience in the league and they’re solid.
“I think everyone has been doing well this year — the back four, the midfield and the strikers. Hopefully that can continue for the rest of the season.”
Last Friday night saw them pick up three points at home to Shamrock Rovers and it felt like a real sign of intent.
“It was important in the sense that we went down to Cork a few weeks ago and played pretty well for large chunks of the game,” Holohan adds. “If anything we were probably the better side in the first half, but you walk away from the game with a decent performance and no points to take away.
“It’s the same up in Dundalk, as we got sucker-punched in the last minute with an own goal, having played decent enough — especially in the first half.
We didn’t want to get the reputation of being nearly-men who put in good performances but can’t do it against the big boys in the league. It’s important to make a bit of a statement that we’re more than capable of holding our own against the top sides in the country and everyone with the club was delighted to get the win.”
The city and surrounding areas are getting back on board too, with a crowd of 3,010 at the RSC to watch them see off the Hoops.
“You can feel a great buzz around the here,” he says. “I knew the support was strong coming down, being from only down the road in Kilkenny. It has taken so long to get back to the division where we should be but thankfully we’re here now. The fan base is there and it will only grow as the season goes on if we can keep up the good performances and stay at the top end of the table.
“It’s a good place to be right now and the fans are enjoying the way we’re playing at the moment.”
Ahead of tomorrow night’s trip to Markets Field to take on Limerick, Reynolds’ men sit level on 15 points with second-placed Dundalk in the table. However, Holohan insists that it is still early days and they won’t be getting ahead of themselves.
“It’s a long season, but we couldn’t have asked for a better start. We would have taken your hand off if you offered us this position at the beginning of the year. We’re just keeping our head down, focusing game-on-game and not putting too much pressure on it.
“If we can go under the radar for most of the season and keep up picking up points with good performances, then maybe later on you can start thinking about pushing into one of those European places.”
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'I’ve been surprised with how professional it is. Everything has been put in place to for us to be successful'
WITH THE ANGUISH of relegation still weighing heavy on his shoulders, Gavan Holohan received an intriguing offer from a former coach.
Last season’s restructure to a ten-team Premier Division saw Galway United go down along with Finn Harps and Drogheda United, despite the Tribesmen showing encouraging signs in the latter stages of the year.
“It was a disappointing end on a personal level and for everyone affiliated with the club,” the Kilkenny native says. “It’s a good club and I think we just ran out of games because our form in the second half the season was pretty good. It was up there with the best in the league.
“You hope that they’ll be back in the Premier Division next year. They have a decent squad for the First Division, so I’ll be looking out and hoping they get promoted.”
Playing in the second tier of Irish football was never an option for the midfielder and, having worked with Alan Reynolds during their time at Cork City, Holohan was open to the idea of linking up again at newly-promoted Waterford.
“I had a good relationship with Renny and we’ve always kept in touch,” he says. “He was onto me the season before when Waterford were in the First Division and said ‘Listen, I know it’d be difficult to get you down here’. I told him it would be something I’d be interested in if they got promoted.
“He gave me a call, came up to Kilkenny one afternoon and we sat down for a chat. It seemed like the best option for the both of us.”
Businessman, former Ireland B international and Swindon Town owner Lee Power took control at the RSC in early 2017. Since then, significant funds have been made available to improve facilities, strengthen the squad and put the right people in place to make a club that won six league titles in eight years during the 1960s and 70s successful once again.
Although he stepped down last month to work as a consultant on Power’s worldwide projects, former Shelbourne and Bohemians boss Pat Fenlon had a major say in the rebuilding last year as director of football.
Holohan has been extremely impressed with the lengths Waterford have gone to in order to ensure the players perform to their optimum level on match day.
“Along with a few of the new lads who have come into the club, I’ve been surprised with how professional and organised it is,” he explains. “You can see that everything has been put in place to for us to be successful and you can see how ambitious the club is with all the backroom staff, conditioning coaches, gym sessions, food after games and little things like that.
The squad that lifted the First Division last season possessed plenty of experience with players like ex-Bohemians and Doncaster Rovers midfielder Paul Keegan and Kenny Browne, formerly of Cork City, arriving.
But they have since added more options all over the pitch and the Blues looked in good shape heading into the season curtain-raiser last month.
“From the minute I came in I could see the quality in the team and the standard of players that were being brought into the club, along with the ones that had been kept from last season,” says Holohan.
“There was big potential, with a mix of young players and a lot of experience, which is important. It’s always difficult to go off the pre-season games because they’re a bit false. We were decent but it was just whether we could keep up those performances once the season started.
“There was a bit of pressure going into the first game but once we got the first win under the belt it was just about keeping that momentum going and luckily we’ve been able to keep the ball rolling.”
Seven league matches in, Waterford have five wins and two defeats — against champions Cork City and their title rivals Dundalk — to their name. 26-year-old Holohan has slotted into the team nicely and says he’s enjoying his football in the south-east.
“It’s easy playing with that quality of player and we have a really good standard, especially in the midfield area. You need to have a strong core to your team, not just in midfield but at the back too. If you look at the two boys [Browne and Dave Webster], they’ve both got good experience in the league and they’re solid.
“I think everyone has been doing well this year — the back four, the midfield and the strikers. Hopefully that can continue for the rest of the season.”
Last Friday night saw them pick up three points at home to Shamrock Rovers and it felt like a real sign of intent.
“It was important in the sense that we went down to Cork a few weeks ago and played pretty well for large chunks of the game,” Holohan adds. “If anything we were probably the better side in the first half, but you walk away from the game with a decent performance and no points to take away.
“It’s the same up in Dundalk, as we got sucker-punched in the last minute with an own goal, having played decent enough — especially in the first half.
The city and surrounding areas are getting back on board too, with a crowd of 3,010 at the RSC to watch them see off the Hoops.
“You can feel a great buzz around the here,” he says. “I knew the support was strong coming down, being from only down the road in Kilkenny. It has taken so long to get back to the division where we should be but thankfully we’re here now. The fan base is there and it will only grow as the season goes on if we can keep up the good performances and stay at the top end of the table.
“It’s a good place to be right now and the fans are enjoying the way we’re playing at the moment.”
Ahead of tomorrow night’s trip to Markets Field to take on Limerick, Reynolds’ men sit level on 15 points with second-placed Dundalk in the table. However, Holohan insists that it is still early days and they won’t be getting ahead of themselves.
“It’s a long season, but we couldn’t have asked for a better start. We would have taken your hand off if you offered us this position at the beginning of the year. We’re just keeping our head down, focusing game-on-game and not putting too much pressure on it.
“If we can go under the radar for most of the season and keep up picking up points with good performances, then maybe later on you can start thinking about pushing into one of those European places.”
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