McGrath targets semi-final return against Limerick

KEN McGRATH is planning on being fit for the Munster semi-final against Limerick on June 22 should Waterford defeat Clare in the opening round this weekend.

The three-time All Star underwent a minor knee operation last Wednesday week and has been told the recovery time is expected to be approximately four weeks. That would be leaving it tight should Waterford get over the challenge of Clare on Sunday.

“I’d hope to be playing the second game (in Munster or the qualifiers a week later), said McGrath. “I suppose Sunday is the big one now. We never get it easy against Clare. It’s up in Limerick as well and we don’t play much up in Limerick.”

Remarkably, it will be the first time in 13 seasons the Mount Sion man has been absent for an All-Ireland fixture in a careerthat stretches back to his championship debut against Tipperary in 1996.

McGrath’s loss has at least been tempered by the news that Dan Shanahan and Eoin Kelly are expected to be fit for Sunday’s game and McGrath maintains confidence remains high despite a low-key league campaign.

“You have to be confident. We’re after winning three Munster titles in the last six or seven years so lads expect to win big games. We always go in hard against Clare. It’ll be a great challenge and one I was looking forward to myself. I know the rest of the lads are eager for it.”

Meanwhile, McGrath has described as “crazy” the Ulster Council’s decision to schedule Sunday’s Ulster hurling semi-final between Antrim and Down for an 8pm throw-in at Casement Park.

Antrim joint-manager Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton has already made his displeasure known and McGrath agreed that the timing of the fixture does little to help promote hurling in the northern province.

“Down in Munster we’ll have 30,000 at our game but them lads up in Ulster are putting in just as much in training. It’s on at eight o’clock is it? Well, that’s crazy. We play tournament games at eight o’clock and it can’t be good for the lads. It’s not promoting the game at all.

“Obviously, they wouldn’t play a football championship match at eight o’clock. The lads must be upset over that but I suppose the players just want to win the game.”