I think the Tipp match from last year was forgotten about due to Clare handling their business 6 days later but it was every bit if not worse than yesterday - it was 70 minutes of the defending we saw yesterday and yet we dug ourselves out of the hole a couple of times only to hand the shovel back to Tipp to bury us again. Taylor, Mccarthy and Rodgers almost pulled it out of the fire but a lot of lads looked really poor on the day - Flanagan gifted Tipp two goals, O’Connor caused Conlon serious trouble with his movement and our halfback line pulled all over the place, Malone and Duggan looked like they a step behind and well off the pace and Barrett held Kelly fairly easily, 15+ wides and another 5 dropped short and Tipp didn’t exactly look an excellent side on the day either which was borne out later in the championship and a trip to the Gaelic grounds a week later to face into.
The team will be deflated today but I think that for the bones of an hour they hurled fairly well and lost their composure when momentum swung. They aren’t the first team to melt when Limerick’s backs wrestle the initiative away and the runners start pouring through the lines.
Doubt there will be huge changes for Cork, but I’d say a few subs will do well to see gametime again this year. Quilligan is an issue but the alternatives are unproven and would be a big call to make, midfield is an issue if Lohan is injured given TKs lack of fitness and Taylor’s unavailability - I doubt either will happen but would prefer to see Sean Rynne parachuted in or Diarmuid Ryan moved forward with Galvin or Leen in at wing back.
Arra, a bit of passion. Nothing wrong with it as long as it isn’t ott or too personal. Aidan McCarthy was getting a few jibes from the Limerick crowd last year on the open side and he nailed a big free and give it to em. Quietened em so he did. Mullane was a great man for giving it too. Can work both ways…
I thought Lohan played really well.
Honestly, I think Clare should take heart from that. I still think they are the closest to Limerick. They played really well for most of that game. Bench not deep enough. With TK it was damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.
Don’t think you can hold yourself out as contenders and take too much heart from the way that finished. They packed in when the going got tough. Like they’ve done a few times against Kilkenny when it really counted.
Galway in the first half last year gave the best display I’ve seen in a long while against Limerick in a knock out game.
That’s harsh - they were completely outhurled from the first whistle in 2022 and lost a tight game that came down to the wire last year that was decided by a scuttery goal and an unbelievable save at the death - Kilkenny’s bench also made a big difference to turn the tide late on. They didn’t pack it in, just came up short on the day.
Yes Sorry, was thinking of the prior year where nothing went right. If that game goes on anther 7 or 8 minutes Limerick were about to put a bad beating on them though I think though.
The ceiling of their performance is obviously very high; but there’s patches in games where things go through the floor. The keeper has killed them, and the subs didn’t work out but the reaction to the goals wasn’t great - the scuttery goals et cetera; I just didn’t like the way they took it.
Tony Kelly coming right would be huge of course and they’ve been doing all this without him so far.
I reckon the heads went down with the concession of the soft camogie style goal from the free. Its very difficult to summon the extra effort in those championship minutes after putting in a serious shift for an hour before. A couple might but as a collective its a monumental team that can rally. When O Dalaighs scuttery one went in they’d had enough and just wanted final whistle. You never see that from Quaid or Eoin Murphy. Instead they save games for you like that Duggan first time save last year in Croke Park or Quaids block on Harnedy in that semi final in 2018. With bad goalkeepers you know you’re never far from impending disaster and if you win it is inspite of them. Its Clares achillies heel. Switch goalkeepers and Clare win by 6 or 7 points.
It’s kind of par for the course in a terrace that the language will be somewhat ‘blue’.
My auld fella did have a word with a Limerick supporter in their sixties last year, for his constant usage of the word ‘cunt’ in the vicinity of a young girl (maybe 8 or 9) in the stand. In fairness, thelimerick was directing it at the ref, but me man got fierce wound up when auld Cauli told him to tone it down a bit . Some fella beside me from Clonoulty, with a few jars on him, was nudging me away, hoping there was an auld barney going to get going.
Hurling is a game of momentum, when it swings especially in the favour of generational teams it is all but impossible to wrestle back.
Whatever about the shot stopping Quilligan completely crumbled on his puck outs after the goal too, didn’t back himself to pick out a half back as his composure was gone and instead just kept lorrying them which only compounded it.
Limerick may not have won without the soft 1st goal yesterday but harsh for lads to throw the blame on Quilligan completely. Clare were gassing big time even before the goal, now they may have seen it out for a win but Byrnes free if even only goes over the bar had a 9 pt lead back to 5 again. Clare legs were gone and Limerick were getting on top
Somebody said Clare lost a fitness coach from last year.
I was surprised how Clare tired also. Maybe they are trying to peak for the all series like Limerick but that’s a risky game because they could be out next weekend.
Dave McIntyre seemed amazed that Callum Lyons chipped in with 0-3 from wing-forward yesterday saying that he’s not a noted scorer. I thought he was always fairly good for a score from wing-back when he burst onto the scene. Jamie Barron was majestic yesterday too. Aussie may have picked the wrong year to relax and watch Champions League games.
In fairness to Clare, you have to target your home games and try and pick up at least one draw in your away. All the “smart money “ was on Cork as well yesterday and I think Clare were banking on 3 points at least from their first two
. Some fella beside me from Clonoulty, with a few jars on him, was nudging me away, hoping there was an auld barney going to get going.