HEROES!
Jubilation for Rathnew as they defeat Dublin kingpins
RATHNEW GAA Club sent shockwaves throughout the footballing world after stunning favourites St Vincent’s of Dublin in the Leinster senior football club championship quarter-finals on Sunday.
Rathnew dispatched the reigning Dublin and Leinster club champions 1-13 to 1-9 at Joule Park in Aughrim, resulting in incredible scenes of jubilation.
Chairman Robert Dignam said Rathnew’s victory was a testament to the amount of preparation put in by the squad.
‘It was a brilliant performance. Most people didn’t give us much hope of beating St Vincent’s but we knew they had it in them. The players had great belief and are a good unit. They are a great bunch of lads and trained really hard, as they always do.’
The victory was all the more remarkable given that Rathnew were without the injured Jody Merrigan and Nicky Mernagh.
RATHNEW GAA Club caused one of the greatest footballing shocks in recent years with their Leinster Championship victory over St Vincent’s - not that anyone in the village ever doubted their chances.
Rathnew dispatched the reigning Dublin and Leinster club champions 1-13 to 1-9 at Joule Park in Aughrim, resulting in incredible scenes of jubilation.
Chairman, Robert Dignam described the experience as ‘the best since 2001’ when Rathnew were crowned Leinster Football Champions.
‘It was a brilliant performance. Most people didn’t give us much of a hope of beating St Vincent’s but we knew they had it in them. The players had great belief and are a good unit. They are a great bunch of lads and trained really hard, as they always do.’
Rathnew were ranked 15/2 outsiders with St Vincent’s having won Leinster in their previous four attempts. The Wicklow side also had to deal with the loss of Nicky Mernagh and Jody Merrigan through injury, with Nicky Mernagh having to pull out on Saturday through an appendicitis
‘They are two real energetic players who cover a lot of ground, but we managed to recover from losing both of them. The reaction after the win was one of pure euphoria. It’s the best day we have experienced since the Leinster Football Championship win back in 2001,’ said Mr Dignam.
Vice-Chairman Laurence Ellis said the level of support the squad received helped to strengthen their resolve.
‘There were scenes of complete jubilation. There were hundreds of fans there coming on to the pitch at the end of the game and waiting for the players to come out of the dressing rooms. It’s brilliant to see all the flags flying in the village.
‘The fans weren’t just from Rathnew as well. They were at the match from throughout the county to cheer us on. The level of support we received was something else. The players are already thinking about the next match. They spent Monday in the gym and sauna at the Druid’s Glen.’