After another slow start, Limerick found themselves quickly three points behind but managed to draw level at eight points apiece by the 30th minute.  It was 0-10 to 0-8 in Waterford's favour at the interval.  Limerick lived with their opponents for some 20 minutes of the closing-half but were bossed out of it completely in the closing quarter, with Eoin Kelly and Mullane striking over points almost for fun.

In sharp contrast, Limerick's inside forward line were starved off possession and it was left to players further out the field, most notably Seamus Hickey, James Ryan and Niall Moran, to shoot for scores.  

While Kelly was the game's top scorer with a tremendous haul of a dozen points, Mullane was winner of the Man-of-the-Match accolade by a country mile.  Controversially overlooked for an All-Star Award in the Autumn, he was certainly on his game in the Theatre of Dreams.  In the drawn game, he fired over four early points which led to the withdrawal of Stephen Walsh and second time around he proved too much for Damien Reale, Mark O'Riordan and replacement Tom Condon.

Mullane's contribution to their 0-25 to 0-17 win were six class points from play.  “John's on fire,” said his teammate Kelly afterwards.  “But I suppose he's on fire ever since he came on the senior team; he was outstanding.”

He added:  “Our fitness levels told at the end; the points just flew over for us at the end, whereas last week that wasn't the case.  Thankfully our shots at the target worked out for us today.  A lot of harsh things were said about us during the week, but we just got back to work.  They were hurtful things, what were said, but if you took offence at everything that was said you might as well not be playing the game.

“It's the same thing in Ireland.  When you're up people want to knock you, so we'll take criticism with a pinch of salt.”

* * * *

'Be patient with us': McCarthy

LIMERICK supporters need to be patient!

That's the update from manager Justin McCarthy after his team's exit to Waterford in the semi-final of the GAA Munster Senior Hurling Championship, and ahead of next month's qualifier meeting away to Wexford.   “Realistically, we're in a transition period,” he acknowledged in Thurles. “We're trying to introduce new players and give them a chance.  And we wouldn't have all that experience of championship hurling, but we have to keep going and there's no turning back.

“It's a matter of learning from the experience and getting ready now for the qualifiers.   It's hard to get the mix right.  There wasn't probably as much between the two teams as the scoreboard suggests but they took their chances better than us.
He added:  “There are some areas we have to develop a bit more; go up a gear in.  It's early days yet - I'm only there six months yet.  All of us have try to work together for a common cause and look forward to the remainder of the championship, and the years ahead.

“There was a point in the second-half when, had we moved up a gear, we might have taken it, but we didn't.  An experienced team can respond that bit better, and if you have experienced players they can get the scores that count.  We missed opportunities, and a chance for a goal, and they sensed that - when they sense that they put us on the back foot.”

Centre-back Brian Geary said afterwards Waterford's bright scoring start wasn't what Limerick had hoped for.  “We were trying to get some momentum going, and they tagged on three points straightaway.  I don't know if there's something psychologically wrong with us or what, but we seem to give them a lead every time, and that's no good in any sport.”

As for the heavy concession of scores in the closing quarter, he commented:  “I'd be disappointed in ourselves a bit.  Waterford are good but we're good enough to match them.  We wouldn't be looking up to them - we're not in awe of them or anything like than - but they caught us in the last 15 minutes. We left ourselves down and fell away in the second-half, simple as that.  Waterford did only as Waterford can, tacking over points.”

Limerick haven't won a championship tie in Thurles since the 1997 Munster quarter-final defeat of Waterford.

* * * *

Adare win back O'Loughlin as manager

GER O'Loughlin has returned as manager of the Adare senior hurling team!

After leading the club to historic back-to-back wins in the Live 95FM Limerick Senior Championship and a Munster Final outing with De La Salle of Waterford, the former Clare All-Ireland medal winner and All-Star announced his departure.   He was even given a special recognition award at the club's Annual Social at Fitzgerald's Woodlands House Hotel earlier this year.

Donagh O'Donnell was announced as the club's new manager, with outgoing selectors in Kevin Costello and Anthony Howard remaining.

The trio were in charge for Adare's 2009 championship opening round win over Knockainey at the start of the month.  “The players were always anxious that Ger remain on and help the club to win the three-in-a-row. There was disappointment when he said he was taking a break from management.  At the time, some players contacted him about coming back but he wasn't for turning then,” said an Adare source.

“There was another attempt to woo him back recently and it worked.  He's back on board now and everyone is looking forward to a great championship and putting in a serious effort to win the club's first three-in-a-row.  It's now going to be easy but we do feel that we have the players in the squad to give it a right crack.  It would also give us a fifth championship win, which would be remarkable given how long we waited for our first.”

Limerick's All-Ireland winning U21 captain of 2000 Donncha Sheehan is skipper of Adare, who are warm 6/4 favourites to retain the John Daly Cup.   In the first round, the Maiguesiders - who haven't lost a championship fixture in over two years - eventually breezed past Knockainey, 3-14 to 0-9, at Claughaun.  Credit an under-strength Knockainey, however, as they presented the holders with a serious test for three-quarters of the outing.

It was 1-5 to 0-7 in Adare's favour at half-time and it really wasn't until the last 15 minutes that they managed to pull away, thanks to scores from Sheehan, Paul Keane, Wayne McNamara and newcomer Dave Barry. Late goals arrived courtesy of McNamara and the ageless Aidan O'Rahilly, another former All-Ireland U21 medal winner in Millennium Year.

Adare meet the winners of the first round replay between last season's beaten finalists Ahane and shock 2005 winners Bruree next month.  Ahane are 5/1 to wrestle back a title they last won in 2004 while Bruree are a big prize to repeat their heroics of four years ago.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment