WITHOUT question, the step was taken out of Limerick’s Munster Senior Hurling Championship demolition of Tipperary (which came close to a record 19-point margin over Tipp way back in 1947) by the season-ending injury sustained by ace forward Peter Casey.
All-Star Casey suffered a horrific ankle break as he rifled home Limerick’s second goal, which propelled the holders to a runaway 2-27 to 0-18 triumph.
He was stretchered off the pitch to the rapturous applause of the attendance of nearly 35,000 spectators and was due to have surgery midweek.
“It’s Jekyll and Hyde, isn’t it?” Limerick boss John Kiely lamented after the match. “Devastation for Peter and his injury, and sure nobody wants to see anyone get injured on any team.”
“These boys all put in a huge, huge shift and it doesn’t matter what team it is, but he is one of ours. It hurts, it hurts the group very much to see that has happened.”
Pouring prise on Casey, Kiely said that “he’s just an incredible talent. Peter can do it in the air, he can do it on the ground, left and right. He’s got a fantastic hurling brain, and he’s just been a real fillip for us in the group and has stacked up some great plays for us down through the years.”
Casey, scorer of a class 1-2, was subsequently selected as RTÉ’s Man of the Match, an awarded accepted on his behalf by captain Declan Hannon.
In his Irish Examiner column, pundit Anthony Daly stated: “Peter was Man of the Match. His goal sealed it. Giving him the award was certainly no sympathy vote from us (The Sunday Game panel).”
Challenging Casey for his accolade on the field were Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes, Cathal O’Neill, and Aaron Gillane, while Adam English (0-4) made a huge impression off the bench.
Only a week earlier, Casey’s older brother Mike was an early injury casualty in the opening round win against Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis.
Limerick, in pursuit of a 25th provincial title, are next out against pointless Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday next week (May 11).
Tipp, meanwhile, are at Walsh Park to tackle Waterford this weekend.
