ROBERT O’Regan can pinpoint the game that convinced him Drinagh Rangers could win silverware this season.

On a ‘dirty day’ in mid-November, Cillian Fitzpatrick scored an 87th-minute winner as Drinagh defeated Dunmanway Town 4-3 away in the Premier Division. It showed O’Regan he had a team willing to dig deep.

That result sparked a run of 15 wins in 17 domestic games as Drinagh completed a West Cork League treble – winning the Premier Division title, the Beamish Cup and the Parkway Hotel/Maybury Coaches Cup.

‘Dunmanway away was an awful, dirty day. It was on a grass pitch too. After having our previous seven or eight games on the astroturf, we were a small bit worried. It wasn’t something the lads were used to and I wasn’t sure if we could win,’ O’Regan told The Star Sport Podcast.

‘It was a game in tough conditions against a Dunmanway team who always come at you and never give up.

‘That day in Town’s pitch, I saw the lads dig deep, put in tackles and get stuck in. After that, I felt we were on to something. It showed me we could win those horrible games.’

Drinagh grew in confidence as the season progressed, and their winning run saw them dethrone Clonakilty Soccer Club as the top team in the West Cork League.

In their league triumph, they won 12 of 14 games, dropping just five points, including their only defeat.

‘That’s what you need when you are going to win a league. If you lose more than one game, there is a chance you won’t win it,’ O’Regan explained.

‘The form worked for us this year, but it took a lot of hard work from the players and everyone involved.

‘There was a shift in attitude. The lads who came in brought leadership. We had a couple of training sessions and nights out early in the year and that stood to the group – it paid dividends.

‘You can see they are a good group. They bounce off each other, enjoy the craic and celebrate together. That’s the best thing for me.’

For O’Regan, it was a season to savour. Coaching comes with its challenges, but watching Drinagh improve and lift silverware made it all worthwhile.

‘It depends what day you ask me,’ the Drinagh boss laughed.

‘I’m enjoying it now because we won a bit and the lads are playing well. If you asked me this time last year, I would have said no!

‘Management is very different from playing. It takes a lot of time on the training ground to improve players and adjust things. It’s more demanding, but this year has been very pleasing.’