Dublin manager Mattie Kenny and players want fans to match the atmosphere they created against Galway for the Senior Hurlers game in O’Moore Park
If you were lucky enough to get a ticket for the Senior Hurlers final Leinster round game against Galway in Parnell Park, you’d have witnessed an atmosphere not been seen at a Dublin hurling game for quite a long time.
Spurned by the performance Mattie Kenny’s panel put in against his native county, the Dublin Supporters rallied to get the team over the line in one of the most memorable games of hurling in Parnell Park.
This Sunday, Dublin go up against Laois away from home. It’s their third encounter this season and this one will be as close as the previous two. Dublin may have won both of those, but this is the Championship. Laois come into Sunday’s match the Joe McDonagh Cup winners and are looking in impressive form.
Mattie Kenny has this week said the support they received against Galway was invaluable to his side. And this weekend it’s that support that could ensure Dublin’s path into the All Ireland Quarter Finals.
“We are asking for big numbers to turn out and support us come next Sunday”, he told Official Dublin GAA.
“We are agreed that the Galway game, that the support there that night was massive to the team, it was ’16th man’ so we need them to travel in their numbers next Sunday, we need them down in Portlaoise and getting behind the team like they did in Parnell a couple of weeks ago.”
O’Donnell and Treacy commend the support
Elsewhere Eoghan O’Donnell, who has been the driving force in Dublin’s defence this year, admits it’s been amazing to see the growth in support for hurling in the county. And for the players it means so much.
“Going forward we need the same support, because these games are so tight and there’s only a puck of a ball in them. And when the legs are heavy in the last few minutes, it’s really the supporters, and knowing that there’s people out there rooting for you, that get’s you over the line.”
Cuala forward David Treacy, who fighting his way back from injury has was of the level of Laois support, having seen some of the games. And that’s why the team need the fans to take to the road this Sunday and fill O’Moore Park with blue and navy.
“There was nothing better than in the Galway game you could hear, obviously towards the end being in the stand, I could hear ‘Come on ye boys in blue’, which is quite rare at a hurling game so we are expecting, and we’d love to have, a massive crowd and massive support to drive us on every single minute.”
“I’ve seen pictures of crowds that have been going to the Laois matches and last weekend was no different.”
“They came in their droves and that’s what we are expecting and no better crowd to match that then that Dublin. It’s only an hour outside of Dublin so we expect a big crowd.”