Horan focuses on positives

THEIR 2011 campaign may have ground to a halt but Limerick manager Maurice Horan still viewed the season in a positive light after yesterday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final defeat to Kerry.

After the hammering they suffered against the Kingdom at provincial level in June, Horan was heartened with the way they fought back to contest the last eight for the first time and how his young players acquitted themselves at senior level.

“The positives are that the last three championship performances for Limerick have been outstanding and nothing short of it,” he said.

“We were about to completely break apart as a panel after the game against Kerry at the Gaelic Grounds. We had a meeting the following week and it was no holds barred.

“We all talked about whether we wanted to have a lengthy career in inter-county football, be it as management, personnel or players. We said that was the choice facing us at the time. I think we showed a lot of spirit and resourcefulness, creativity, in terms of players playing out of position.

“There was maturity in terms of guys who hadn’t played for Limerick previously. John Riordan in his first year playing inter-county football has marked Ciaran McManus, Paul Galvin and Colm Morris — he has done a great job on all of them.”

Horan paid tribute to the standard of football produced by their opponents Kerry and cited them as the benchmark for aspiring counties like Limerick.

“Our last four losses have been to Kerry, Kerry, Cork and Kerry, and that’s over the last two years. So we have to hold out heads up, we are playing against the very best and we are competing.’’