Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny jumped to the aid of stranded Lilywhites fans to ensure they made the trip to see the League of Ireland champions take on AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands tomorrow.

A group of diehard Dundalk followers were left on the side of M1 en route to Dublin airport this morning when their minibus broke down at the Drogheda tollbridge and they faced the real threat of missing their flight to the Louth side's Europa League debut.

However, they were left startled and relieved when the Dundalk team bus pulled up beside them and manager Stephen Kenny popped his head out the door and said 'Hop on lads.'

Kenny spoke about the incident when he arrived in Holland today, and said that it was 'no big deal' to come to the rescue when they spotted that the group were in trouble.

He did confirm there was one stipulation - the travelling band could not bring their alcohol on board.

"They did yeah, it was a good crew," Kenny smiled, "We just about fitted on. Luckily enough we had some Dublin based players meeting us at the airport so we had a few spare seats.

"We're all people who want the same thing, wanting the team to do well. The support has been terrific. I didn't see it as such a big deal.

"We've had great support all over the country this season, home and away. It's very expensive, I don't even mean travelling to other countries, just following a team, going to Derry and Cork and Dublin even, paying in and the expense of going.

"Going to Sligo from Dundalk (last week), that's a serious trip on a Tuesday night. You have to respect that. It's something you have to acknowledge and respect.

"The lads who came on the bus were all very appreciative and their attitude was great."

Bus load of @DundalkFC fans broke down on the motorway. Stephen Kenny & team bus pull over. "Hop on lads". pic.twitter.com/yFoewdCUIB — John McGahon (@John_McGahon) September 14, 2016

Dundalk expect to have 800 travelling fans present tomorrow evening for their showdown with one of the top clubs in Holland.

Online Editors