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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Leitrim manager Steven Poacher pictured with Jordan Reynolds in Ennis Picture: Willie Donnellan
Steven Poacher has called on Leitrim fans to come out in force next Saturday when the Green & Gold host Laois in the second round of the Allianz NFL Division 3.
After suffering a heavy 2-17 to 0-10 defeat at the hands of Clare last Sunday in Ennis, the Leitrim manager issued a rallying call for fans to get behind his team: “We have Laois next Saturday in Ballinamore next Saturday and we understand that that's a big, big game for us.
“Ballinamore, hopefully, next Saturday, will have a lot of Leitrim people in it, getting behind these bunch of young, fine men. I'm proud of every one of them because they're a good bunch of lads. There's parents in the stands here today that have travelled down to Ennis and they're proud to see their children playing for Leitrim. That's the most important thing.”
Admitting that his young team struggled against a physically powerful Clare, Poacher admitted that this Leitrim project will take time: "When you look at the physicality of some of those lads out there today in the Clare team, and you look at the physicality of some of our younger boys, and they've a wee bit to go. They're probably year one or year zero, as I would call it, in an S&C programme. That takes time. It doesn't happen overnight. It's going to take time.
"We know this year is going to be difficult, we know it's going to be but we want to be competitive. We want to try and instil a level of belief into the lads. We want to try and give them a platform and a structure that maybe will make them competitive. It's going to be difficult, we know that."
The Leitrim boss stressed his pride in his young players who took to the field: "I'm proud of every one of them because they're a good bunch of lads. They're a good bunch of young men. There's parents in the stands here today that have travelled down to Ennis and they're proud to see their children playing for Leitrim.
REPORT: CHASTENING DEFEAT FOR NEW LOOK LEITRIM IN ENNIS
"That's the most important thing. I said to them in there too, they're just trying to create their own wee bit of history and make their own wee legacy or whatever. That's what you're trying to do."
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