To represent our club and our county is an unbelievable feeling says Athy star after reaching Leinster Club final

“It's great to be playing football in the first week of December” the immediate after-match comment of Athy joint-manager Conor Ronan, as he was already looking forward to taking the Kildare champions into the Leinster Club final this coming Saturday.

“If you had said to us last December when we took over that we would be playing Croke Park in December, might not have believed you initially but we are delighted to be there” added one very happy joint boss.

Getting over that hump of the county title was massive, our lads are now really starting to believe, how good a footballing group they are, it is just great to see them backing their selves today but there is still loads of room of improvement.

The manager added that they decided if they got the opportunity they would play with the wind and try to build the wind early doors, the shots went over but we did get away a few times as James (Roycroft) back playing for the first time in three months pulled off two brilliant saves.

On the injury front Conor said they picked up a few knocks “but it has been a long season for lads, a few niggles but we will assess it, the big difference is this is only a one week turn-around but we'll see, fingers crossed.”

Corner back, Sean Moore, delighted as expected but said “we held steady in the second half against that strong breeze.”

It was a very physical game said Moore, “they never stopped, even when well down at half-time they stayed going, a credit to them.”

The no. 2 said that he tries to help out the attack at every opportunity getting forward but then getting back as quickly as possible, so far so good.

Midfielder Kevin Feely said the feeling was “similar to the way we felt after the county final, not as big as a crowd but that outpouring of emotion seeing people come out on to the pitch after the final whistle and now going up to Croke Park to represent our town, our club and our county, it is an unbelievable feeling” adding he felt “it is great we seem to building it up game-on-game, almost put to bed at half-time today though we knew Port would come back, but ye, simply brilliant and now to Croker.”

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