'He's brought a lot' - Patton 'to challenge the players in different ways' on Dungannon coaching panel

JONNY Patton took over the Stevenson Park hot seat in the summer and has led Dungannon to the perfect start in All Ireland League Division 2A with four wins from four.

Gannon are second in the table after overcoming fellow former AIL winners Shannon on Saturday 14-9.

Patton played at Queen’s under the tutelage of his father Keith before going back to Dungannon, where he played and on the coaching ticket before securing the head job.

“To be made head coach is a big honour and something I'm excited about... I've been involved in the coaching side for a while it's been great to get started,” said Patton. “I would definitely go my own way, in fairness Dad just lets me get on with it, it wouldn't be his thing to get involved.

“I think the most pleasing thing has been just the players' attitude to be open to new ideas and try to implement those while maintaining the things that we've been good at going back.

“The core strengths are still there but we'll add other layers to it, we'll hopefully continue to add more but the guys have worked hard and they know what it takes to win games at this level, so that's what we're doing at the minute.”

Former Ulster and Ireland prop Bryan Young has come into Gannon as forwards coach.

“The summer saw a bit of change, it was important to get Bryan in and as much as things have been going well and we're trying to keep continuity," said Patton. “It's nice to get new ideas and to challenge the players in different ways, so he's brought a lot to that as well...very experienced and excited to work with him.”

Two of Dungannon’s wins have come on the road.

“It’s really important and it's been three really tough games but to win three of them, yeah, we're very pleased with that,” said Patton. “It's a tough league and everybody can beat everybody, so it's very much about just the next one...very content with how we started.”

While there were changes on the coaching ticket the playing squad largely stayed the same.

“It helps me as a new head coach to have a really experienced senior player group that you can bounce things off and they police the changing room,” said Patton.

“We've also had a bit of injection of youth and with a couple of guys that have come, Blake Redmond from RSD (Royal School Dungannon) has just added something, that it's really good to freshen things up and a couple of younger guys through the youth and from the junior team, so there’s been a bit of change...but it's good to do that off a solid base.