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Villa can secure a maiden Waterford Premier Division title tonight

Villa can secure a maiden Waterford Premier Division title tonight
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Villa FC can secure a maiden Waterford Premier Division title this evening.

The league leaders host Hibernians at Connors Park tonight, knowing that a point will be enough to secure their first Waterford Premier crown.

It's been a remarkable season for Conor Coad's men, who have made it to the FAI Junior Cup Final as well as chasing the double in the Deise.

Speaking to WLR Sport ahead of tonight's big match, Coad says while a point will be enough - his side go into every game looking to win.

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"It's been ingrained into this group by now that every game we play, we either look to get three points or go through to the next round or whatever it is. It's going to be a great night, hopefully. That's if we can perform the way that we know we can as a group. Whether it is a point on the night, or whether it's three, hopefully we can get over the line - because that's what it's all about at this stage."

Conor Coad admits that a league title at Waterford's highest level has been a long time coming for the club - but he's taking nothing for granted, as are his players - until the title is guaranteed. Villa has been an insititution of schoolboy and youth success down the decades, and it's been a delight for Coad to finally see that transitioning into the club's senior sides.

"It's been a long time coming for this club. We never want to take anything for granted. We've got three games remaining and we might need all three, potentially, to get over the line. It's been difficult to transition our schoolboy system and integrate them into our Premier team for a long time. The introduction of the underage League of Ireland made us have to go and reset things a little bit. We've had to be a bit more patient with some lads, they'd maybe go, then come back - and it's been a transitional time to get that right. I feel we've done that really well in the past few years, and we've now got a really strong squad."

Winning the league title was always in the sights of the club when setting their season objectives - and Conor says it's hard not to be excited with the club within touching distance.

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"It was the main objective at the start of the season, but we've taken it one game at a time. That may sound cliche, but we really have. We're just always focused on that next game, whether it's the league or the cup. Whatever it is on that given day, we prepare for that given day. This has been something that we have been moving towards as a club for quite some time, and it's great to be this close. Please God, we can get over the line."

Getting into the FAI Junior Cup Final has been the highlight of the campaign no doubt - a club yet to taste county success now being on the cusp of national glory. While that wasn't necessarily a target, Villa have never doubted their own ability and have carried the momentum of their local form onto the national stage. For now, the league will do more than nicely for the men from Connors Park.

"At the start of the season, when we looked at our objectives for the year ahead - we didn't have a right to say that we were going to do anything in the FAI Junior Cup. We've never been Waterford champions. That was always the primary objective. We're almost there, and until we are there - we won't look beyond it."

Villa host Hibernians at Connors Park this evening at 7pm. 

The club represent Waterford in the FAI Junior Cup Final against Limerick's Pike Rovers on Sunday May 22nd at 2pm in Turners Cross, Cork.

What will be a year that goes down in club history is coming to the boil, but it's one step at a time on the road to folklore.

For all the latest in Waterford sport, click here.

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