FOR the first time since 2010, the Limerick footballers picked up wins in successive Munster championships on Saturday as they beat Waterford 2-14 to 0-9 in the Fraher Fields.
It follows Limerick’s promotion to Division 3 the previous week as they now prepare for Tipp this Saturday in the Munster semi-final in the LIT Gaelic Grounds.
Check out some of the main talking points to emerge from the game as Limerick made it three from three over the Deise this year.
Iain Corbett
If Iain Corbett was born a little over 25km over the road in the Kerry direction, his name would be known nationwide for his exploits with the Kingdom. Instead he was soldiered with the Limerick team for a number of years and is finally getting the recognition he deserves as he now routinely features in the Official GAA Team of the Week.
Corbett is a regular threat in front of goal despite his positioning at centre-back as seen best in Limerick’s win over Tipperary last year when he got the games opening goal and added a brace of points.
He has operated in the forward line since the return of play but can shift between positions when needed. With Limerick attacking in numbers, Corbett is the perfect component of the system as he combines pace, power and skill with his pass to free Hugh Bourke on Saturday out of the very top drawer.
A Rolls Royce of a footballer that will be key if Limerick are to progress to the final.
New players slot in seamlessly
Prior to the lockdown, the Limerick senior football team was almost picking itself on a weekly basis. This was down to the brilliant performances week in week out from those in possession of the jersey.
The first 8 names read Donal O’Sullivan, Paul Maher, Brian Fanning, Mike Donovan, Tony McCarthy, Iain Corbett, Robbie Childs and Tommy Griffin in each of the five Legaue games prior to the lockdown. Padraig De Bruin, Cillian Fahy and Danny Neville also started each of the games with Adrian Enright named in the first XV four out of five times.
For the Wexford clash, there were a couple of introductions for the 2020 season as Sean O’Dea and Gordon Browne returned from injury with Darragh Treacy back from his travels. Three more were introduced at half time that day in Mick Neville with Sean McSweeney drafted in for his debut alongside Tommy Griffin and Killian Ryan.
All of those six have started the two games since with this new look Limerick settling in extremely quickly and more importantly producing from the get go.
McSweeney has helped ease the void left by Neville’s injury, although hopefully we will see the pair in action together this year, Ryan has allowed Corbett to move into the forwards where he has excelled. Griffin provides an outball into the full forward line while also offering an extra body in the middle when needed.
The returns of O’Dea, Browne and Treacey cannot be overstated also with the trio key components to Billy Lee’s side in recent years.
All in all, the quality in the squad has improved greatly since the lockdown, with serious competition for places among the panel now.
Fast start proves crucial again
On Limerick’s return to competitive action, a miserable first half performance in Mick Neville Park saw Billy Lee’s side trailing Wexford 1-8 to 0-3 at short whistle.
They simply left themselves far too much to do on that day and in spite of an excellent second half performance, they could only trim the gap to three in the end as they missed out on booking promotion with a game to spare.
Lee and co have clearly learned from that display and were quick off the blocks in Markievicz Park to lay the foundations for promotion. On Saturday against Waterford, Limerick produced a similarly electric performance in the opening half to all but seal the result.
Cillian Fahy would goal inside the opening five minutes with Adrian Enright’s effort after 15 minutes giving Limerick clear daylight at 2-4 to 0-1.
Tipperary vs Limerick
Limerick’s Cillian Fahy scores a goal
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Enright’s goal effectively put the game to bed as Limerick kept their opponents at arms-length for the final hour of action.
In the end, Lee’s team ran out comfortable 2-14 to 0-9 winners in Waterford to book a place in the semi-finals of the province.
Limerick have a potent forward unit and their ability to carve out goal chances has been very noticeable this year.
While they left plenty of chances behind them in their first two games back, they made no mistake when the chances presented themselves on Saturday and they will look to continue in that vein in the Gaelic Grounds against Tipperary.
Limerick do not rest on their laurels
Regardless of all that has happened globally since the turn of the year, it isn’t hard to imagine that Limerick’s number one priority heading into 2020 would have been to earn promotion from Division 4 of the National Football League.
Limerick’s blistering start to the year is an indicator towards this as they went seven from seven including the Munster Football League which they won for the first time since 2005.
There was a blip either side of the lockdown as they lost successive games to Antrim and Wexford. But when the victory was most needed, Lee’s side put in a brilliant performance to secure the League title last weekend. And after a long delay, the season’s main aim was secured.
But Lee and Limerick are not ones to rest on their laurels and sent out a statement of intent against the Deise. A place in the Munster final is 70 minute away and you can be sure that Lee and co will be desperate to return to that stage after a lengthy wait.
Can they repeat the 2019 Tipp triumph?
Limerick’s had their best performance to date under Lee in the repeat of this weekend’s fixture in 2019. They blitzed Tipperary in the second half in Thurles for their first Munster championship win since 2012 and first of any kind in three seasons.
That game has brought a huge lift to football in the county as the side have since won the McGrath cup and a League title.
Successive wins over the Premier, who reached the All-Ireland semi-final as recently as 2016, would be another huge step in the right direction for Lee and co.
Limerick have the ability and momentum on their side. Another positive 70 minute display will see them into the Munster final.
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