If you’re an absolutely diehard Limerick hurling supporter, one of the dwindling few who were at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday for this NHL round four match, or if you were a Limerick county board official, or a member of the under-pressure management team, you could take the view that this defeat is actually a two-point improvement on the result of last August’s 24-point All-Ireland semi-final hammering by the same opposition, and you could suggest that Limerick hurling is still heading in the right direction.

THE hurlers of UCC had to draw on all their experience to get the better of a dogged Garda College in a dour Ulster Bank Fitzgibbon Cup first round clash at Templemore yesterday.

WIT 1-15 Comeragh Gaels 1-7