O’Connor eager to keep fans happy as Limerick face Athlone

LIMERICK FC boss Noel O’Connor will be reminding his youngsters that there is more than three League points at stake when they meet Athlone Town tonight.

Victory, he says, will almost certainly result in another cash windfall when they entertain Kilkenny City next Tuesday.

“We just could not believe it when 2,000 fans turned up for the visit of Monaghan on our return to Hogan Park on Good Friday. It was unbelievable. Not since the days of Eoin Hand and Billy Hamilton was there such a buzz. We have obviously tapped into a new market and it is now up to the team to keep it going. What really impressed was the number of fans wearing our club colours. If we can put any sort of winning streak together, I have no doubt those same fans will stay with us. There is a lot of goodwill out there towards the club.”

Limerick, he continued, had invested heavily in new facilities. “We had a good financial return last week and a few more gates like that would make such a huge difference.”

O’Connor does not hide that he needs to bolster his squad. “My worry is that if we are hit by injuries, which we undoubtedly will, that we might start to feel the pinch. We have a very young squad of players and I would like to have some more experienced hands on standby.”

With two key matches inside five days, he says it will be necessary to rotate his squad. “There are fellas on the fringe itching to get out there and they could have their chance this evening”

“It is early in the season and we must keep pace with the leaders. It will be difficult in Athlone but we have a very positive approach and will be looking for all three points.”