You don’t always get what you deserve

I WAS privileged to manage the Limerick footballers for six seasons from 2000 to 2005 and the U21s for the first two years of that period.

In that time Limerick beat fancied Cork teams in Páirc uí Chaoimh at both grades. Indeed, any Cork victory since 2000 has been hard earned including last year when I watched Cork steal – I use the term advisedly – victory from Limerick’s grasp in the final moments of yet another Munster semi-final. It is these performances that sustained the Limerick players’ belief that they would win yesterday’s Munster final.

It was evident from an early stage yesterday that Mickey Ned O’Sullivan’s side had the tools and the belief to carry the game to Cork in all areas of the field. Cork registered the first point of the game through James Masters in the first minute, his most notable contribution, but from there to half-time, Limerick dominated. The fact that Sean Kiely, the Limerick goalkeeper, only kicked out the ball three times offers a reliable indication of their dominance.