Limerick ‘must kill off games’

IF Limerick footballers are to make any meaningful impression on this year’s All-Ireland championship they must learn to kill off games, according to defender Stephen Lavin.

After storming into a seven-point lead against Roscommon in Sunday’s NFL opener, they took their foot off the pedal and were fortunate to survive for a three-point victory.

Said Lavin: “we were on a hiding to nothing going into the game. There was new management in and we were without a couple of key players through injury and hurling commitments. It was important, therefore, to get the campaign off to a winning start, but if there was one lesson we can take from the game it’s this: we must learn to kill off the opposition when we get the chance.

“It was our inability to do so that cost us victories over Kerry in recent years. Against another team last Sunday we could have let the game slip and that would have been disastrous for us after dominating the game for long periods. Overall the win was encouraging. A number of players did very well and when we get Eoin Keating, Muiris Gavin, Stephen Kelly and Darren Horan back, we’ll be a match for the best.

“Mickey Ned O’Sullivan has brought a freshness to the training and the lads are thoroughly enjoying it. On Sunday we travel to Longford and, if we can play with the same spirit and commitment, we should pick up another brace of points.

“Despite the closeness of the scores at the finish, we are quite pleased with the win. Really we didn’t know where we stood. We did okay against Cork in the McGrath Cup, but it’s only when you get into a really competitive match that you find out just how good or bad you are.”

Limerick were not the only ones celebrating. One swallow never made a summer but for Declan Browne and Tipperary victory over Sligo in the opening round of the NFL was a welcome start to the year.

Tipperary finished last year’s league without a win and this result has been warmly greeted in Premier County. “We have been working extremely hard in training, and our aim is to build on the Murphy Cup success of last year,” said Browne.

“This victory over Sligo was hard-earned, but I feel we deserved it. In recent years Tipperary haven’t enjoyed much luck on the football field, but we put in a great 70 minutes last Sunday and got our just reward.

“It looked like the same old story when we fell five points behind, but we scored a goal just before half time which is always a psychological boost.

“To be still in touch with Sligo as we went into the second half was encouraging and we dug deep in the second half to fashion an unexpected but very welcome victory.

“Twelve months ago we didn’t win a point from seven games played. This year we have two points from one game. It will making going into training tonight that bit easier. The win certainly shortened the journey home, and there was a great buzz among the lads. Not many teams would travel to Sligo and get a result, but at the same time we are not getting carried away.

“Our next game is in Thurles on Saturday against Westmeath and then it’s off to Breffni Park to play Cavan the following week. We couldn’t have asked for three tougher games in a row, but this victory will give us the necessary confidence to drive on.”