Athy manager praises his 'top class' team as Kildare champs progress in Leinster

There was certainly an air of satisfaction in the Athy camp following their impressive win over Baltinglass in Aughrim on Sunday afternoon as the Kildare champions advanced to the quarter-final of the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship.

It was a display that will have many folk sitting up as to go to Aughrim and come away with a fifteen point win is a mighty achievement and one that had joint manager, Conor Ronan extremely pleased with.

Very, very happy was how Conor described the display adding “we celebrated the county final, as we were entitled to do, but on the Thursday after the final we gathered again with the lads asking us 'to prepare us the same as ye did for the county final'.

"The application for this game has been brilliant; only a few of the lads have ever played on this pitch before so very little experience of Aughrim, not really sure what to expect but the work-rate was simply top class again, the football is in the group and we knew if we got the effort that we had in the county final we would be close against Baltinglass said a very satisfied manager."

No doubt that this game was won in the opening half, playing against a very stiff wind, it was the Kildare side who dominated, got an early goal and went on to lead by a healthy four points at the break.

“We warmed up at that end and maybe that was a help, but we had a couple of goal chances, their keeper, Mark Jackson brought off a couple of great saves but our movement, our changing direction and our overall display was brilliant to watch.”

Conor admitted that while the scores for Ronan Kelly may not have come for him in the latter part of the (Kildare) championship they certainly did today.

“Look Ronan is a great lad, we are delighted to have him and he is a credit to himself, and his family” adding that “the team have been creating the chances but not finishing but thankfully we did that today.”

It was back in 2011 that Athy made it to the semi-final, and a few of the lads and management were involved back then are still involved and they can all look forward to two weeks time?

“There is a great hunger in the group, we can now look forward to playing back in Newbridge where we are vary familiar with unlike today, it is often said the first day can be the hardest in Leinster Club and once you win that you never know what can happen.”

Ronan added that the players and management would enjoy tonight, as they are entitled to, but we will than get back to training after that and look forward to the meeting with Summerhill.”