If you are going to get put in a display like Limerick did against Tipperary, you would hope that it would be in your first league game.
It’s a bit like the old cliché “it was a game of two halves”. Both teams made a lot of unforced errors. When Limerick are on it, scoring 2-14, but they couldn’t get that in the first half
to find new players.
William O’Donoghue had a calming influence when he came on for Limerick. He was bang smack in the middle of both goals. He came on, Sean Finn, Gearoid Hegarty, Seamus Flanagan came on.
It was a strong Limerick team. There was outstanding spirit in that second half performance. To come back from nine points shows some great character.
When Limerick are at it mentally they will still take a fair bit of beating.
I firmly believe that if Limerick are going to push on again they will want three or four new players making the team.
Barry Nash is one and is showing huge potential. No surprise to me that he is going to push for it. What I liked about Seamus Flanagan when he came on is that he won 50/50 ball for his point and worked very hard.
I was also very impressed with David Dempsey. He got three points from corner forward and was possibly being played out of position. He is a very dangerous forward, very quick and has an unorthodox style.
Straight away you have three players that weren’t regulars last year. Those three and possibly another one is how you evolve it.
To be fair to John Kiely and his backroom team. as he look towards Galway, they are kind of restricted in picking guys because of the Fitzgibbon Cup. Some of the players playing in that are guys that need to be playing in the league.
Personally, I would like to see the squad utilised even more. Put fellas out there and see can they cut the mustard or not. You want ferocity for every position and unless you have that you are going to be lacking a small bit on the motivational side.
Every position, ideally, should be up for grabs. Galway is there second outing. The second half performance against Tipperary is where Limerick
want to be.
It’s important to cut out the unforced errors, puck outs, sideline balls and a lot of poor ball going into the full forward line. A load of areas to work on and this is the time of the year where you are going to work on it.
Galway are going to be fairly strong. It will be interesting to see how Shane O’Neill and John Fitzgerald set up this new Galway team.
It’s a big one in Galway in how they were setting up against
other teams.
I would be favouring Limerick for the game. They will be looking for the same honesty and passion that we saw in the second half against Tipperary.
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