Limerick have plea for replay delay rejected

LIMERICK have had their request for a postponement of next Saturday’s Munster SHC semi-final replay against Waterford turned down by the Provincial Council.

Hurling coach David Keane confirmed that he had asked the Limerick County Board to seek a postponement on the grounds that two players, Andrew O’Shaughnessy and Patrick Kirby, were doing their leaving certificate exams.

“I was duty bound to seek the postponement because of the two lads starting their exams tomorrow,” Keane said yesterday, “but I wasn’t holding out too much hope.

“The ball is back in the court of the players now to decide whether to make themselves available or not. The exams are very important to both players.”

Munster Council PRO Rev. Fr Seamus Gardiner said it was impossible to grant the Limerick request. “There is no precedent for a postponement to facilitate second level students,” he

explained. “All arrangement have been made for the replay to go ahead in Thurles next Saturday and tickets for the game are on the way to the participating counties.”

The Waterford chairman, Paddy Joe Ryan said that while he was totally unaware of the Limerick request, he quickly dismissed the notion.

“It’s an absolute non runner as far as we were concerned,” Ryan said. “We are all geared up for Saturday. Both counties were told in advance of last Sunday’s drawn tie that in the event of a replay it would go ahead on the following Saturday.”

The Deise chairman said Waterford are involved in the Munster Under-21 hurling championship, against Limerick, next Wednesday while the losers of the senior replay will be out in the All-Ireland qualifiers on Saturday week.

“Hopefully that won’t be us, but even if we do qualify for the Munster final we intend to play a whole series of games in our county championship that weekend”, Paddy Joe Ryan said.

“With the best will in the world we couldn’t agree to a postponement of Saturday’s replay, though in any other circumstance we would go out of our way to co-operate with Limerick.”

Limerick are awaiting fitness reports on Brian Begley and goalkeeper Timmy Houlihan ahead of their Munster SHC semi-final replay with Waterford on Saturday in Thurles (6.15pm).

Begley went over on his ankle in the drawn game last Sunday while Houlihan injured his shoulder in a tackle on Paul Flynn which resulted in a penalty. Both are expected to be on the team when it is announced after training tonight.

The week’s grace will benefit Ollie Moran, who failed to make it last Sunday because of a broken index finger. He is likely to be in contention for a place on the starting 15 for Saturday.