O’Sullivan: pain of drop fired us up

MICKEY NED O’SULLIVAN emerged wearing a look of broad satisfaction.

There was an anxious build-up to this game with his Limerick team having been squeezed into Division 4 during the league and their opponents Tipperary flying high in comparison.

Yet his side managed to tap into a winning groove and suddenly their season has taken on a whole different complexion.

“You win matches on the pitch, not in the papers,” he was eager to point out. “It was very disappointing to be demoted to Division 4. We were a bit unfortunate but it was a great motivating factor for us. The lads knew they weren’t that bad and they knew they could put it up to Tipperary. They stuck to the game plan and it was an outstanding first half.’’

After the splendour of their first-half showing, Limerick were forced into retreat in the second-half.

“At half time, the big danger is you go in with a big lead and it’s very difficult to get their heads right. Perhaps we were too far ahead at half time. The intensity began to drop, Tipperary gathered momentum and it was hard to break. Stephen Lucey’s point was a crucial point.”

On a day of bright spots, the debut of youngster Cormac Joyce-Power in Limerick senior football colours was a notable one.

“Cormac Joyce-Power is just 18 years of age. I was just delighted that we got him over from rugby. He was in the sights of Munster but we cajoled him, held onto him and hopefully we’ll keep him.”

On the opposite side John Evans was forced to reflect on a stirring second-half recovery from his side that came up just short. Tipperary were all at sea in the opening half, yet their manager maintained faith in his players.

“Fair dues to Limerick. They came out of the blocks and literally blew us away in the first 20 minutes. I could see that the team had lost their composure.

“I watched them almost fold but these guys are made of good stuff. In the second half this young team gave value for money. Yes, they were sitting ducks but they dug themselves out of a deep, deep hole and put in a great second half performance.’’