Kevin Anderson hopes Banbridge Town FC can climb the heights

Banbridge Town midfielder Kevin Anderson is hoping to reach the top this season, both on and off the field.

The 34-year-old helped Town achieve an impressive 2-0 win over Bangor on Saturday to keep pace with the club’s rise.

Anderson also hopes to reach a special “peak” next July as he climbs Mount Kilimanjaro to help raise money for the charity.

This is a dual mission with big risks and rewards, but an experienced midfielder enjoys the challenge.

The first is Banbridge’s promotion, Saturday’s win over Bangor, which saw Frank Wilson’s teams reach six points from their top two in a single game.

“It was a great result. We played against them at Bangor early in the season and won 1-0, but we knew it would be difficult to win twice with them,” Anderson told Match on Tuesday.

“We knew how important it was to score, to stay at the bottom of the rankings. So it was a huge achievement.

“Opening the door for a team like Bangor was also very positive. It is a physical team that delivers the ball first to the attackers.

We worked on it before the game and we were very fortunate to work well in defense and the young Lewis (Hunter) played brilliantly for us on the net.

It cleans well and gives us confidence. When the ball enters the penalty area we know it will come for it.

“That’s two wins over Bowney and three losses, and that saves us from the mix.

We have Limavad on Tuesday night, and it’s another very tough game. This is a big and difficult task on Tuesday night.

“But that’s the way things are and you have to pass these tests with confidence. They are a worthy team and it will be a good challenge and a good opportunity to try to bridge that gap.

From now on, every match will be difficult, but we are getting closer to the match. Every match is a cup final and we have to deal with it with that mentality.

“We have to win all the matches to keep the composition because the teams around us are doing really well. So if we miss one, there is a big chance to come back. The gap will be too big for us.

“So it is good that we are back in shape at this stage of the season. The momentum is building and the confidence of the players is high.

Saturday’s victory over Bangor, with two goals from Sean Ogg Gallagher and Reese Doyle, went to Crystal Park in the first half.

Anderson believes the young Town team looks good for the future and is confident that they can finish the current season with prosperity.

We defended well this season, but sometimes we had difficulty scoring goals. We need more goals and you can see that the players are gaining confidence and not just relying on the attackers.”

Sean Ogg got a Saturday out of midfield and whatever goal he won. But the other men weighed.

“It’s a great sight to see and see potential in the team. We have to give a lot of credit to Frank and Simon. They brought in guys they know from their international U-18 team.

“And you can see that it has grown in the last few weeks. It fits just right and you can see what you bring to the table.

“I’m 34 and I think the next big player on Saturday was 24. We’ve been playing for about 9-20 years, so it’s great.”

At the end of the season, Anderson will face a new challenge at Kilimanjaro on July 2nd.

He raises money for ALPS (All Lives Are Precious), a mental health initiative in Downpatrick.

“It would take seven days to climb the mountainous coast, so I try to balance training for that and also a GAA game. I’m a busy guy now,” Anderson joked.

“I’ve never done anything like this before, so I’m a perfect beginner. We made a donut here and we were in Wicklow so I’ve been getting tubes like this.

“We have about two weeks before training, because it becomes a huge problem in terms of fitness and even illness.

“He’s lying in a tent on the edge of the mountain!”

Anyone wishing to donate to Kevin’s Charity Climb can do so on their JustGiving page here.

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