Malone points to difference in '˜vision' as boss leaves Lurgan Celtic

The former Glenavon and Dungannon Swifts boss took over the helm at Knockramer Park in December 2013 with a dream to take the club into the Danske Bank Premiership.

However, he resigned from his post on Monday and has told the MAIL that he felt he and others at the club were pulling in different directions.

“It’s been ongoing really,” said an evidently disappointed Malone. “I felt increasingly isolated in my attempts to keep stepping forward in the Irish League.

“I had set my goal to get Lurgan Celtic into the Premiership and I had backed that in everything I did. I don’t think my efforts were matched off the field.

“There is a lot of commitment involved in trying to do that but everybody has to be singing from the same hymn sheet.

“I know now that some of the committee don’t have the same vision that I had. Therein lie a lot of problems.”

Malone did oversee one of the club’s biggest ever days when he helped them into the Irish Cup semi-finals last season, seeing off Portadown 3-2 in the quarter-finals. That proved to be Ronnie McFall’s last match as Portadown manager after Raymond Fitzpatrick’s 90th minute winner saw Celtic through to face Linfield.

They eventually went down 3-0 to the Blues, despite a spirited first half performance ensured they were level at half-time.

“I did a lot to try and raise the profile of the club,” he continued, “getting promotion from Championship Two and the Irish Cup run as well, which was maybe overshadowed by the fact the quarter-final proved to be Ronnie’s last game.

“Getting out of Championship Two was a good achievement and the Irish Cup semi-final was great but everybody didn’t believe in the vision of getting to the Premiership.