LIMERICK are back in the Munster final after they overwhelmed Tipperary in Pairc Ui Chaoimh yesterday, winning out 3-23 to 2-17 in awful conditions.
Limerick lead from pillar to post, despite being on the wrong side of a number of qustionable calls.
They will now face Waterford on November 15 in the final as they look to retan the title they won in June of 2019.
Check out some of the key themes to emerge from yesterday’s awesome display.
William O’Donoghue
Last week Gearoid Hegarty was lauded for his five-point haul against Clare but missed out on man-of-the-match as Tony Kelly plundered 0-17 in a losing effort. Yesterday Aaron Gillane was given the award after shooting 2-6.
However, despite Gillane’s brilliant dispay, there was one man head and shoulders above the rest and that was Na Piarsaigh’s William O’Donghue who has developed into one of the leading midfielders in the country over the past 18 months.
O’Donoghue was central to everything Limerick did well and the Tipp contingent couldn’t lay a glove on him. When needed early on, O’Donoghue, not known for his scoring prowess, launched over a pair of points before settling into his role as the enforcer as he negated the impact of Noel McGrath.
Limerick had stars throughout the field with Diarmaid Byrnes particularly excellent down the stretch as Tipp went route one.
But one star shone brightest in Pairc Ui Chaoimh and that was William O’Donoghue.
New roles for Cian Lynch and Kyle Hayes
From the throw-in, such is the sheer size of Kyle Hayes, it was noticeable to see him absent from his no.11 slot, as he reverted to wing-back. In his place stood Cian Lynch with Darragh O’Donovan moving to midfield.
It was a strange call to see Limerick alter so many positions with the team largely settled since the beginning of the 2018 championship.
Nonetheless, the decision worked a treat as Lynch was imperious in his role. It must be noted that Lynch was nominated for U21 Hurler of the Year for his performances at centre-forward for Kiely during the 2015 U21 All-Ireland winning campaign as he put in a similar shift in the Pairc yesterday.
His accuracy in front of goal is a hugely under appreciated trait of his as he tipped over a brace and created several more scores.
As for Hayes, his move to wing back should never have been doubted. In 2016 he captained the minor side to an All-Ireland final from full-forward. The following year he was the All Star centre-back on the Limerick team who claimed U21 honours while he was named man-of-the-match at centre-forward in the 2018 All-Ireland final.
Needless to say, the midfield pairing of O’Donoghue and O’Donovan worked a treat. As such, the flexibility in the side now makes preparing for Limerick all the more difficult for opposing teams.
Limerick’s skill in tricky in conditions
Teams should not score 3-23 in conditions like those in Cork yesterday. That much is clear. Even with the elements disastrous to work with, Limerick were the highest scorers of the weekend. This is something that should not go unnoticed as they picked off 26 scores in a storm.
The skill of these Limerick players knows no bounds as they continued with their possession based play in intricate phases, notching scores with ease. With conditions completely against them, Limerick stuck to their guns and their handling was exemplary.
Incredibly, their first half tally alone would have seen them lose to Tipp by just three while it would have been enough to see off Wexford on Saturday night.
Limerick are averaging 34 points from their opening two games and do not look like relenting come Munster final day.
Spread of scorers
Not only are Limerick scoring at a ridiculous rate, their spread of scorers is hugely impressive. As they did against Clare, Limerick had 11 different scorers against Tipperary yesterday. As mentioned, Gillane top scored with 2-6, 1-5 of that coming from placed balls.
The starting half-forward unit of Lynch, Morrissey and Hhegarty all added two from play while Diarmaid Byrnes matched his quarter-final total of 0-3, from wing back.
What’s most impressive was the impact off the bench with Seamus Flanagan, David Reidy and Pat Ryan adding 1-4 between them in limited time on the pitch.
Notably, Darragh O’Donovan, Kyle Hayes and Declan Hannon didn’t register a score as none had to with each player confident in their teammates’ ability in front of the posts.
This scoring ability from each player will be needed on Munster final day with Waterford having ten different scorers against Cork.
Munster final bound
Defending champions Limerick will look to regain their title in two weeks against a rejuvenated Deise under Liam Cahill. Waterford were full value for a 1-28 to 1-24 win over Cork with the Rebels getting a consolation goal late on.
However, they will know there is a huge step up to Kiely’s men if they are to prevent them going back-to-back.
These sides met in th 2019 League final with Kiely’s side winning out 1-24 to 0-19 and Limerick will be huge favourites again. But finals tend to take on a life of their own.
Only 13 days to go but who’s counting…
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