THE LIMERICK footballers face Tyrone this Sunday at Healy Park, Omagh in round one of the All Ireland Football qualifiers.
The game, which throws in at 4pm, is without doubt the toughest task faced by Limerick in a number of years.
Mickey Harte’s men have won three All Irelands since 2000 and enter the qualifiers on the back of a 1-13 to 1-10 loss to All Ireland favourites Donegal.
Meanwhile Limerick enter the knockout stages of the football championship having lost to Clare in Ennis, 0-13 to 0-15.
With Tyrone 1/33 to win this game, there are very few people in the country who see a potential ground shattering shock being on the cards. The very few, rightfully so, belong to the Limerick football squad.
Limerick manager John Brudair, speaking to PostSport this week commented, “Why not us?”
The challenge facing Limerick is not an historical one. Player do not come out of retirement to play these games. Tyrone, relegated from Division 1 of the football league will be only one Division above Limerick in league next season.
Couple that with the weight of pressure and expectation on Tyrone and Limerick have a free pass for this game.
“We know how big a challenge this is for us. We are under no illusions, but this is what we train for. These are the games that we want to coach and play in. You want to test yourself against the elite. We know that we have to play at our very, very best and that has focused the lads no end.”
Indeed, knowing that every little error might lead to being punished by top class forwards, the Limerick camp has seen a rise in training intensity and concentration since the draw was made.
“The lads have been unbelievable all year in their dedication and preparation. The motivation for this weekend is two fold really. The chance to pit ourselves against the best and also the chance to rectify our performance against Clare, which was a huge disappointment for all the panel,” Brudair continued.
The task facing Limerick is indeed a massive one, but the game still needs to be played on its merits, over 70 minutes, on grass. The tactical battle alone will be an intriguing one.
If Limerick are to ‘go for it’, throwing caution to the wind, they might come out on the wrong side of a heavy defeat. On the other hand, a defensive approach would not allow for scores to be gained. Brudair, the man in charge of striking that balance, believes that patience and intelligence will make a huge difference.
“We know that we need to be strong at the back, but also we know we cannot defend for 70 minutes, as the team that scores the most wins. So, the challenge for our lads is to remain calm, take the chances that come your way and also be patient in defence. The best sides in the country are calm on the ball, but they are calm without it too.
“The experience of playing this game will teach us that. Once we have that balance, we can go toe to toe with anyone.”
Limerick are expected to name a full strength side for the clash, with no late injuries hampering preparations. The game, which is not on TV, will be broadcast live on Limerick’s Live95fm from 3.45pm.
