John Kiely: Faster puck-outs contributing to higher scoring rate

SHOW OF RESPECT: Limerick manager John Kiely and Clare counterpart Brian Lohan at yesterday’s Munster SHC quarter-final in Thurles. Kiely believes the speed of puck-outs has contributed to the high scoring returns across this weekend’s SHC games. Picture: Inpho/Ryan Byrne

Limerick manager John Kiely believes the speed of puck-outs has contributed to the high scoring returns across the opening weekend of the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

After 2-54 was scored in Croke Park on Saturday, 1-59 was registered in Thurles on Sunday.

According to statisticians, Limerick’s 36-point total was the second highest in the SHC behind the 1-40 Cork put up against Westmeath in the summer of last year.

Kiely suggests referees being able to react quicker to the restarts has allowed for more game-time to be played. “I think the puckouts are an issue because they are coming very fast. Maybe in a stadium where the thing is full, maybe the referees need to buy themselves a little bit more time themselves in those circumstances before they blow the whistle.

“Whereas here they can scan and see and take everything in much easier as an official. So, as a result, I think the puck-out comes faster.

“Now I know he blew Clare up for quick puck-outs at some stage but they were very, very quick, he hadn’t any whistle blown. So I just think we’re going to end up with the ball in play a lot longer in the course of the games and an awful lot quicker resets, that’s one thing I think we’re going to see.

“Maybe another couple of games will give us a bit of a trend as to what might be there but if you look at all the other sports, soccer in particular, I think the scoring has gone up in those sports as well in terms of the amount of scores being converted. Maybe there’s less pressure on the player in an environment like it is here with nobody here.”

Kiely didn’t feel the lack of a crowd had any huge bearing on the on field action.

“Being honest with you, when the crowd is there sometimes you don’t know that they’re there at all. You’re just so engrossed in the game.

“There’s for and against. I think the crowd adds to the occasion without a shadow of a doubt.

“From the minute you arrive at the stadium, you know things are different. But listen it is what it is. We just have to accept it now and move on.”

An advocate of the Championship being played from early summer, Kiely believes games like this will give plenty of cheer to the country in the midst of a Level 5 lockdown. The excitement of it was there for him long before throw-in.

“I’ll be honest with you, the buzz was there this morning. The buzz was there all week. We could all feel it, probably today more so than ever because we realised how privileged we are to have an opportunity to play and yeah, everything was as normal apart from the fact that there’s nobody here. The excitement, the unknown, the anticipation of what might be the unknown that you might not have thought of that might just happen.

“I’m sure an awful lot of people at home got a lot of enjoyment out of being able to sit down of a Sunday afternoon and watch a Championship match, especially the older people in the population.

“They will take great solace from the opportunity of being able to sit down and watch their team play and watch all the other teams play.

“I know from my own parents they’ll be welded every Saturday, every Sunday, to all the matches that’ll be going on, and I’m sure that’ll be the case in many a household all over the country.

“Of course it’s worth it, it’s absolutely worth it. Unfortunately it has to be the way it is. Who knows, maybe in December things might be a bit better.”