Limerick still a work in progress

THE FIRST job Donal O’Grady had to complete when appointed Limerick hurling manager was to dim the public’s horizon and minimise the expectation within the squad, and anyone who attended Saturday’s Allianz National league Division Two encounter with Westmeath won’t need much more convincing that O’Grady’s ‘Limerick project’ is very much in its foetal stages.

“I suppose we’ll be happy with the win,” O’Grady offered afterwards. “It was lacklustre though; we weren’t happy with our work rate. It wasn’t good enough, not what we expected, but I think we tried forcing things a little bit - making extra passes when a shot over the bar was the right option.

“Maybe the expectation was that we’d win this game without putting too much effort in after winning last weekend but that certainly wasn’t the case.”

Indeed, the 2007 All-Ireland finalists were fortunate to lead at the break after Westmeath nudged 0-9 points to 0-8 in front after 32 minutes, before points from the outstanding Donal O’Grady in midfield and Richie McCarthy put them a point in front. The opening period wasn’t one the manager looked back on with pride.

“Our way of doing things is based on work rate and hard work and we didn’t put them under enough pressure. We let them come away with the ball too easily, while our forwards were working hard when they were looking for the ball and then maybe not hard enough to get it back and that put pressure on our defence.

“You have to give credit to them too,” he added. “Westmeath put it up to us in the first-half and we struggled a lot. We raced ahead early enough but they came back into it. They gave us a lot to think about at half-time and we were lucky to actually be ahead at the break.”

It was only when half-time substitute Pat Tobin crashed home a goal from close range five minutes into the second stanza that Limerick began to illustrate what they’re capable of, and worryingly for them, that wasn’t anything that’s likely to worry any of the so called ‘top tier’.

Westmeath were whole-hearted, disciplined and possessed some of the game’s outstanding performers in Andrew Mitchell and Paul Greville but, detrimentally, they lacked belief and as soon as Tobin broke through for that goal, their heads and hearts sank. They registered only six points thereafter.

James Ryan was Limerick’s best player on view, thieving four points, while newcomers Kevin Downes and Graeme Mulcahy had their moments too. Kilmallock’s Eoin Ryan worked tirelessly at midfield and he helped himself to six points.

Scorers for Limerick: E Ryan 0-6 (four frees, 1 65); J Ryan, R McCarthy 0-4 (three frees) 0-4 each; P Tobin 1-1; D O’Grady, N Maher (0-2) each; A O’Shaughnessy 0-1.

Scorers for Westmeath: D Carthy (two frees), A Mitchell (1 65, one free) 0-3 each; B Murtagh (one free), B Smyth, E Price (0-2) each; C Curley, D McNicholas, N Flanagan (0-1) each.

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Walsh, S Lucey, D Moloney; W McNamara, S Hickey, P O’Brien; D O’Grady, E Ryan; R McCarthy, J Ryan, N Maher; A O’Shaughnessy, K Downes, G Mulcahy.

Subs: B Geary for S Lucey (h/t), Pat Tobin for A O’Shaughnessy (h/t), P McNamara for G Mulcahy (50), B Hourigan for R McCarthy (51), K O’Rourke for P O’Brien (68).

WESTMEATH: P Burke; R Whelan, P Greville, E Price; P Gilsenan, A Mitchell, J Shaw; N Flanagan, C Curley; B Smyth, D McNicholas, B Murtagh; A Devine, B Leharte, D Carthy.

Subs: J Clarke for D Carthy (43), C Mackey for B Leharte (48), A Craig for C Curley (60), D Golden for A Devine (60).

Referee: A Stapleton (Laois).