LIMERICK defender Shauny Kelly says the club’s support can “give us that extra bit of belief and extra lift” needed to help them out of the mire, with another crucial league match against Bohemians at the Markets Field this Saturday evening (kick-off 6.30pm).
The Shannonsiders recorded their first win of the Premier Division campaign last weekend, beating closest rivals Sligo Rovers 3-2 to move within seven points of them at the foot of the table.
Martin Russell’s side now enter the third and final round of fixtures with renewed hope, but Kelly and his teammates know that there is “a long way to go” if they are to perform a great escape.
The 26-year-old made his reappearance for the club last Saturday after returning from Derry City, and despite their position in the standings almost 1,000 people turned out, an attendance which he was impressed by.
“It was a good crowd. I think it just shows that people are crying out for football in this city,” Shaun told LimerickFC.ie.
“It’s good to see that you nearly get 1,000 people when you are so far off. Hopefully, they get behind us now and give us that extra bit of belief that we can claw back the rest of the points.
“If they can get behind us and the more people that come out to support us for the final games of the season, it might give us the extra lift that we need.”
The Killybegs native was also delighted to finally see the Markets Field in reality, having heard many tales about it during his previous three-year spell with the club.
“The Markets Field was great,” he said. “It was my first time there. After all the years that I was at Limerick before, hearing that we could have been going to the Markets Field and it never came off.
“It was great to finally get there and see it. It’s a great job, with the changing-rooms and the pitch. I didn’t realise how the big pitch was but the surface is good and they’ve done a great job with it.”
“Relief” was the word used by the right-back when asked what the mood was like in the dressing-room after the victory over Sligo, and he knows the result has now set up another “massive” clash.
“You could see the relief on everybody. It was great going in after getting the first win of the season,” Kelly said.
“In the changing-room everybody was delighted but at the same time we know there is a long way to go and we still have to claw back at least those seven points that we’re behind Sligo at the minute.
“I think there was a belief even from when I came in the door. You could see in training, people knew that some games didn’t go for them and they could have got more points.
“When we got the points against Sligo, it has given us an extra lift now and we know that we have a big chance. Coming into this Bohs game, it’s massive and if we can get another three points out of this then you just never know.
“Bohs have got some good players that come under the radar sometimes. In this league you have no easy games.
“I wouldn’t say I’m surprised that they’re up there where they are at the minute, because they have a good bit of experience in there and Keith Long has them playing well. But we’ll be looking to knock them back a bit now and get the win.”
