Post date: Jan 17, 2012 12:54:04 PM
Free parking has been negotiated with The Whitewater Shopping Centre for next Sunday afternoon on production of your match programme.
KIERAN McGEENEY is expecting an unseasonably strong Dublin outfit. Pat Gilroy's team have defied the customary post All-Ireland slump to record big wins over Carlow and UCD in their opening competitive forays in 2012 and McGeeney, whose Kildare team have been in arguably more impressive form in the opening weeks of January, attributes that to the number of first team player currently populating Dublin's early season team sheet.
"People are saying that Dublin aren't putting out much of a team but I was looking at the scorers (from their victory over UCD) and Kevin McManamon, Diarmuid Connolly...they seem fairly regular to me," he asserted.
"He (Pat Gilroy) is probably no different to ourselves. He's probably looking at three or four positions. Dublin keep to the same structure, the same gameplan relentlessly and it's one people find very hard to break down."
Both sides swept their quarter-final opposition aside last weekend to set up a rematch of last summer's controversial Leinster SFC semi-final, a match which Dublin won thanks to a contentious free awarded by Cormac Reilly for a disputed foul by Andriú Mac Lochlainn on Bernard Brogan. The match looks set to draw an unusually large crowd to St Conleth's Park, Newbridge although Leinster Council have declined to make the match all-ticket, despite the reduced capacity in Newbridge.
"Hopefully we'll get a good crowd here and get a good atmosphere," noted McGeeney. "That's one thing that Newbridge has going for it with the close proximity to the pitch, you can get a pulsating atmosphere. So hopefully we'll put up a good performance."
The Leinster Council are confident that no supporters will be turned away. St Conleth's Park had been one of the grounds whose capacity was reduced as a result of findings of the Slattery Report and at present, the Newbridge facility holds 6,500 paying punters.
"We've looked at the crowds getting out for games so far and we figure there'll be a crowd of around 4,000 in Newbridge. We discussed an all-ticket match but have decided it is not required," confirmed Leinster Council Chief Executive, Michael Delaney.