by PostSport ReporterAFTER a spirit crushing defeat, the last thing a player wants to see is a journalist and his dictaphone. This Limerick side, however, showed as much courage after the game last Sunday, to talk to the media, as they had on it, against a hotly fancied Tipperary side.
Visibly upset, Limerick goal scorer Graeme Mulchay spoke about the heartbreaking defeat.
“We thought we could beat them. It was a great start. We were going so well, we led at half time and even tacked on a few points in the second half, but they just came at us and the game went away from us,” commented the Kilmallock forward.
“We were moving the ball well in the backs and we were battling hard. We were all going well at half time, we got the crowd behind us too and everything was going our way. I knew we had to get a goal or two and stop them scoring one. I saw the net rattle for their goal and I knew we needed to move on from it, but we never really got the chance,” added Mulchay.
Defeats are more part of the game than wins sometimes. One man who has seen his fair share of disappointment on the field is Monaleen clubman Brian Geary.
Geary, a late replacement in the half backline, told us that fitness or lack there of, had nothing to do with Limerick’s loss.
“It’s a simple question to say was it down to fitness, but it is not a simple answer. We thought that we could beat them here in Thurles. The mood in the camp was good. Fitness is not an issue for me. Tipperary were out on their feet too after 50-55 minutes. That kind of heat plays its part as well. It is a different type of game at this level. It is a tough dressing room now, but we know we can get ourselves in a position to win”.
Looking ahead to the qualifiers, Geary knows more than most that winning can become a habit.
“We all know from seeing in 2007 that a win can lead to momentum. A win can lead to anything. We are trying to get that win in Munster championship, but we didn’t get it this year, so we have to bounce back in the qualifiers. We have a good bunch of lads here and our summer isn’t over yet”
Indeed it is not. Roll on the qualifiers.
