Spillane eager for starting position

Although it's pretty much a given that Dan Murray will start every game at centre-back for Cork City this season, there's so much competition to partner him that Kalen Spillane's aims have changed quite a bit since 2011.

Last year Spillane was a vital cog in City's title winning machine, his relationship with Gavin Kavanagh at the rear a vital ingredient to their promotion. However in last week's season opener, it was Kavanagh that lined-up alongside Murray, with the Carrigaline-man forced to be content with a place on the bench.

Spillane came in last year and impressed everyone with his composure and ability to cut out opposition attacks and although he hasn’t done anything wrong, the addition of Kevin Murray – ruled out at the moment with knee injury – provides even more competition, while Stephen Mulcahy is to come back into the fold too later in the season after another spell out injured.

While he was one of the first names on the team-sheet in 2011, playing 29 games and helping the team reach double figures in clean-sheets, his objective now is to impress Tommy Dunne enough in training to overtake former Crumlin United player and the equally competent Kavanagh and line-up next to Murray.

Whether that comes tonight in City’s first home game of the season against Drogheda United or not remains to be seen but Spillane is willing to give it his all to resume his place in the starting XI. “There’s about five or six of us capable of playing in the position and (Craig) Burns is on loan at Waterford as well so we look very strong at the back,” Spillane said. 

“Patience is the key for me really. It looks tough for me to get into team but I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, work hard and surely I’ll get a chance at some stage. “It’s good for the team though because there’s so much competition there. Personally, it makes me hungrier too and all I want to do is get back into the team.”

As for his hopes for the team this season, Spillane reckons a European place won’t be out of City’s reach. Lofty ambitions, but if everything falls into place, top three could become a realistic objective later in the season.

 “I reckon we can aim for a top six finish anyway. A European spot, in the top three, would be great but once we stay away from any relegation threat we’ll be happy. For the league, it’s all about Shamrock Rovers really but aside from them, I think Sligo will be up there while Bohs and Pat’s both have good sides too.”

Some of Spillane’s best performances last year came on the road, at near-empty grounds like Salthill Devon’s Drom and Athlone Town’s Lissywoollen but now he can’t wait to visit the more famous grounds in domestic football.

It must have been pretty disheartening playing in front of over 2000 at home one week and, like in Salthill on Good Friday, facing less than 150 seven days later but it will all seem worth it when the big away games start arriving thick and fast. “Definitely. It’s much more of a challenge going to places like Derry in the Brandywell,” he adds. “There’s no need to get motivated going to a game, like we did going to some places last year, and I can’t wait to travel to Tallaght and Dalymount too."

The 20 year-old, despite this being his third season at the club, is still one of the younger members of the squad and while he like the equilibrium in the squad between youth and experience, he appreciates the advice he has picked up from his wiser peers. 

“There’s a nice balance there really, plenty of youth and also experience. The new lads have settled in well, Colin (Healy) has been here before, Shane O’Connor has settled in well and I think Johnny Dunleavy, who is only a young fella like me, has settled in brilliantly too. It’s a big help (getting advice from them). Not just Dan but also the rest of the older lads would come up to you in training if you’re doing something wrong and explain to you how do it properly.”

As for getting over last weekend’s defeat to UCD, he added: “It was the first game so we shouldn’t look into it that much. We’ll need to kick on now from here though and get three points on Friday.”