It could have been 3-0 to 2-0 after 8 minutes or so. There were goal chances go leor at the start.
My fear is against tipp they will be scored.
That’s true. Still, Clare didn’t apply as much pressure as the likes of Tipp, Cork, Galway or Kilkenny will, so the hurling does need to sharpen up.
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John kielys post match comments were a bit odd when he said he didn’t really care if they finished 3rd or 2nd. A bit odd I must say.
IF we do reach the Munster final it’ll be on limerick too against tipp or cork.
nothing odd about it really, id agree with him. look today was the game Limerick had to win.
I think that was relief more than anything else. At 3.30 Limerick were facing down the barrel of a gun. He didn’t care once we got out of the group.
I don’t know how they’re going to approach next week. Hard to see past anything other than a Tipp win though
They are a nice minor team with a good mix of skill and size. Clare’s use of a sweeper played into Limerick’s hands and your centre back did a good job holding the middle and made it tough for Clare to find their inside line. Only for Shane Meehan the game would have been long over. Once we finally did away with the sweeper we got a run on ye and could have forced a draw but in fairness to Limerick they kept their composure and stayed working. Cathal O’Neill looks a class act, very good from frees and won some excellent aerial ball second half.
They will beat Tipp next week I would think. Will be interesting to see how we go against what is supposedly a decent cork side. We have bags of skill and pace but we very much look like a side with mainly under 16s playing. I don’t think the sweeper does us any favours, not once did a Clare player try and catch a contested aerial ball yesterday.
Missing them was the best thing that happpened limerick, forced them to make a tactical shift and after 10 minutes the half forward line dropped back very deep and left two inside with Casey at centre forward. Ye literally ate us without salt in the tackles and swallowed us up in the middle third from that point on and we had no outlet to go long due to the amount of bodies back. Once ye won it there was acres of space to move the ball into. Games was played fully on Limerick’s terms from around that point onwards.
What a day that was. Unreal.
If the atmosphere for Cork was flat yesterday more than atoned for it. The crowd were really up for it and baying for blood - the players duly delivered. The hooks and blocks were greeted like scores. Phenomenal chasing and harrying. Tony Kelly and their fancy ball players didn’t want to know.
Hard to pick out one of our lads who was less than an 8 out of 10. Just solid all over. Thought Gillane was MOTM but there were five or six you could have picked. Hannon - what a stylish, classy player that lad is. There isn’t a better sight in the world than Hayes or Hegarty bullocking through a defence with acres of space in front of them. After the opening few minutes we were tight in the full-back line. Only one goal conceded in three matches now. Finn is different gravy.
It was all about getting top three, even more so after the opening game set back. Barring a calamatious turn of events in points difference that has been achieved. Do we really want to play Tipp next week and then a fortnight later…? Can’t imagine anything other than both sides going at it hammer and tongs. Win next week and we are in a Munster final so that’s the carrot. If not just glad to have the safety net of a qualifier and quarter final. Still alive.
A sweet win, righted a few wrongs from last year but Clare and Waterford are fairly mediocre this year so can’t go too over board after the last two displays either.
Of course there is a massive asterisk beside the 18 point victory with The Dow failing to score from play against them yet again. Shambles.
Good win for the minor lads too.
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It wouldn’t . They would have lost by 15
I actually forgot Dow didn’t score from play. The subs w0rked hard overall. He scored one monster free but hit a really stupid wide from way back the field with acres of space in front of him. Gillane fairly whipped the ball off him towards the end to take a free.
Meehan is excellent in fairness. Would hurling or football be his main sport?
I would be very against playing a sweeper minor level to be honest. Backs need to be able to beat their men in one-on-one battles, and it’s easy to become reliant on a covering player.
Any time he got the ball or got near the ball I was roaring for him to put it over 
A Munster Final (at home) has to be a carrot. It probably makes sense to go quietly into the AI series as the third-placed team, but ah fuck it.
Fergal Lynch tells us his team has five or six different systems of playing though and that the sweeper is necessary as these lads haven’t been exposed to good enough coaching up along. Utter bullshit that he has picked up from his mentor
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Not one of them shown on the highlights last night.
Still better than 4th
Daly insisted that our minors play a sweeper in a munster final v Tipp in 17. Imerick had a gale force wind at their backs in the first half but our geniuses stuck to the plan and got duly filleted.
Limerick hurling hasn’t looked back since he left the academy set up.
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More than ever its important that the necessary resources are ploughed into it. Tipp minors havent looked great so hopefully they will do the business next week
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