Dublin deliver telling blow

FINALLY, it came to pass.

All through the 2010 league campaign, what even the most optimistic of the Limerick hurling support must have feared was that their new, vastly understrength team would come a cropper and suffer a big beating at the hands of one of hurling’s superpowers.

There was a hint of it against Tipperary in round four, a 20-point loss, but mitigating circumstances were offered as excuse, Limerick reduced to 14 from early in the first-half. They didn’t disgrace themselves against Galway, Cork, Kilkenny, Galway or Waterford, while in their second-to- last game of the league they pushed Offaly to the pin of their collar in Tullamore.