Last year, I remember hoping that Tony Kelly would put over that lineball at the end of the Limerick-Clare Munster final, not just because it would be a great feat of skill but because we’d be getting another half-hour of an amazing game.
On Saturday the teams came out just like they were continuing that contest in extra time in Thurles. Again, it was a brilliant match, a savage battle of skilful play and physicality – another chapter in the recent history of these teams.
Given that Limerick lost by only a point, it might appear harsh to say that as a team, I think they may be in trouble. Before the championship and after the league, I believed that no one was going to get close to them.
Looking at the drop-off since the league final – last week’s win in Thurles may have been as much to do with Waterford’s misses – they could well now be looking at two defeats.
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They also found out last week that even outsiders will have a go at them as All-Ireland champions and we found out on Sunday the overall difficulties that Waterford have.
Limerick’s trajectory is in fact not unlike Waterford’s from last year after winning the league. Add to that the injuries to two key players on Saturday, Seán Finn and Cian Lynch, and I think they’re under pressure.
It’s not good news for Lynch and I sympathise as someone who suffered from hamstring problems. The mental scars can be as challenging as the physical damage. Has he the patience to sit it out like he did last year when he picked up an ankle injury, which actually helped the hamstring to recover?
Players want to play and I’d say he hasn’t been having the impact that he wanted in the first couple of matches. Now he has to recuperate again and it will severely test his patience.
Limerick for me confirmed these concerns but you could argue that this is Clare v Limerick and for the past two years nearly everything between them has ended in a draw. That’s the form they took into Saturday night.
As John Conlon said afterwards, they have all been at school together. They have also gone to the same colleges and while there, even lived in the same houses. They know each other inside out and Clare know that they can bring the challenge to their neighbours.
After losing to Tipperary, they were right up for this and David Fitzgerald was back. He’s a huge player for them and with his return, others benefited. Tony Kelly was more himself and Shane O’Donnell too.
Conlon was outstanding at centre back and Diarmuid Ryan was really good. We know all about the team’s flaws, largely going forward and shooting but there is no issue with their energy and pace and as a package in terms of being up for the battle, they are in the mould of their manager Brian Lohan.
I’m not sure their ground, Cusack Park, suits their pace and athleticism. The pitch is big enough but the proximity of the crowd I think psychologically narrows it and watching them in Saturday playing the full width of the Gaelic Grounds I was wondering if the tight surrounds in Ennis could be an issue.
I also worry about Limerick’s energy and where their scores are coming from. Gearóid Hegarty isn’t starting and Cathal O’Neill is a different type of player and not as prolific. Cian Lynch struggled for scores and Kyle Hayes’s attacking threat has looked subdued this year. Only Séamus Flanagan has been scoring goals.
At the weekend Nickie Quaid kept them in it at times with a couple of great saves and to be fair to Eibhear Quilligan at the other end, had he not kept out Flanagan’s shot in the first minute maybe the story would have been different.
Clare also took Limerick on the way I think is best – by pushing up and accepting that if you’re going to get beaten, you’ll get beaten but to try and create pressure on them.
The high drama in Limerick overshadowed the weekend’s other matches. Waterford were very poor in a disappointing match before a big crowd in Páirc Uí Chaoimh where Cork did what they had to do. They scored plenty of points but didn’t really threaten goals.
[ Galway strike at the death to force a draw in roller-coaster clash with KilkennyOpens in new window ]
[ Cork hit the ground running with dominant win over Waterford in Pairc Ui ChaoimhOpens in new window ]
I’d be inclined to give Kilkenny and Galway a pass because they were operating in the low-pressure environment of Leinster. They will almost certainly be in the provincial final but this match was pretty slack. Kilkenny were slightly better, as they were more efficient but if neither deserved to lose did either deserve to win?
Daithí Burke was very good for Galway, holding them together when Kilkenny were threatening to slip out of sight. They failed to pick out passes when they were on and showed poor shot selection before their late charge.
Evan Cody was excellent for Kilkenny, sharp and accurate with the chances he got.
I expect both of them to go deep into the summer when they’ve sorted out Leinster between them.
