Recovery key for Mary I's Fitzgibbon hunters
DECIDER-BOUND: MICL players Cathal Quinn and Adam Hogan, 2, celebrate after their side's victory in the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach, Sportsfile
It will be a tight turnaround for Mary Immaculate College and three-in-a-row chasing University of Limerick as they head down the road to Abbeydorney on Saturday afternoon for the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup final, which is a repeat of the 2016 decider won by Mary I after a high-scoring extra-time thriller.
That was their first title. A year later they claimed back-to-back wins.
You won’t hear Jamie Wall complaining about the lack of downtime.
The Mary Immaculate manager said "it is unreal to be back in the final" for the first time in five years after his charges dominated SETU Waterford on a wet Wednesday evening in Mallow.
“We will try and book into the recovery rooms tomorrow in Limerick, get a stretching session on Friday and a bit of a chat then on Friday evening. It is unbelievable to be going to Abbeydorney and unreal to be back in the final, please God we can drive it on.
“We have to try and manage this three-day turnaround and get the boys as fit as we can for Saturday and have a right cut off of that.”
One of those boys causing concern is Clare’s Daithí Lohan, who sustained a hamstring injury just before half time.
“Daithi picked up a bit of a hamstring knock, our physio is assessing him at the moment. We’ll have to see how serious it is, we will go off that. A lot can happen in three or four days, it might only be a strain. We’ll just have to see.”
Mary Immaculate College were always in control, as they built up an interval lead of 1-9 to 0-2. A pillar to post victory with Shane Meehan’s 25th minute goal the principal score.
“We won the toss. It is a lot easier to try and manage a game than to try and chase a game,” Wall observed. “We said if we won the toss, we would go with the breeze and try and make it count on the scoreboard.
“Early on, it didn’t look like we were going to, we were hitting a few errant balls wide. That’s part of it, that happens in hurling, we didn’t panic too much. We knew it would come. Ironically with the breeze, when we started working the ball through the hands a bit better, that is when we played better. We got better shots off.
“In the second half, it was just a case of trying to manage it as best we could and go score for score. In fairness to the lads, every time Waterford got a bit of a run on us, they pegged it back and got crucial scores.”
For Fintan O’Connor’s SETU Waterford, who closed out with 14 players after Pádraig Fitzgerald received a second yellow four minutes from time, Reuben Halloran did the majority of flag raising.
His charges did come good late on courtesy of Seán Walsh (52nd minute) and substitute Billy Nolan (66th minute free) goals.
These majors were negated somewhat by a second Mary Immaculate College green flag from substitute Diarmuid Cahill in the 61st minute.
The winners, meanwhile, were never in danger. A victory built upon a hard-working defence and a bench contribution that was vital - a necessary requirement going forward, according to Wall.
“We have a super bunch of backs and we got a fierce impact off the bench. That will be crucial as well at the weekend.
“Vince Harrington came in and had a ferocious game. He is a senior hurler with Na Piarsaigh (Limerick), top level. They are all at a serious level. There are guys who are not getting games at this level.
“That's what the Fitzgibbon is all about. It's a squad game. Now, more so than ever, if you get to the semi-final and final, the squad game is massive. That’s what this will be about for the next three days.”
S Meehan (1-3), D Cahill (1-0), S O’Brien and D Ryan (frees) (0-3 each), C Quinn (0-2), J Gillane, PJ Fanning, J Caesar, R Power, C Hennessy, C O’Brien and F McDonagh (0-1 each).
R Halloran (0-7, 0-6 frees, 0-1 65), S Walsh (1-1), B Nolan (free) (1-0 each), G Fives (0-2), P Fitzgerald (Kilrosssanty and T Barron (0-1 each).
J Gillane (Patrickswell, Limerick); A Hogan (Feakle, Clare), K Ryan (Upperchurch-Drombane, Tipperary), PJ Fanning (Mount Sion, Waterford); Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe, Clare), C Hennessy (Nenagh Éire Óg, R Power (Ballygunner, Waterford); C Quinn (Cashel King Cormacs, Tipperary), D Lohan (Wolfe Tones Shannon, Clare); C O’Brien (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels, Cork, Capt), D Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs, Tipperary), F McDonagh (Moycullen, Galway); J Caesar (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary), Tipperary), S O’Brien (Kilmallock, Limerick), S Meehan (Banner, Clare).
V Harrington (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick) for D Lohan (31 inj), E Craddock (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary) for F McDonagh (47), D Cahill (Corofin, Clare) for D Ryan (51), S Whelan (Cappamore, Limerick) for S Meehan (64), C Lloyd (Moyne-Templetuohy, Tipperary) for PJ Fanning (65).
B Hennessy (Kilmallock, Limerick); C King (Carrig Riverstown, Offaly), T Barron (Fourmilewater), B Power (Clonea); C Ryan (Roanmore), P Wicham (St Abbans, Adamstown, Wexford), G Cullinane (Passage); J Fitzgerald (Clashmore/Kinsalebeg), W Beresford (Abbeyside/Ballinacourty); G Fives (Cappoquin, Capt), R Hanley (Kilmallock, Limerick), R Halloran (De La Salle); S Walsh (Carrigtwohill, Cork), P Fitzgerald (Kilrossanty), P Fitzgerald (Ballygunner).
B Nolan (Roanmore) for P Fitzgerald (Ballygunner, ht inj), J Harkin (Bennettsbridge, Kilkenny) for R Hanley (48), W Halpin (Slieverue, Kilkenny) for P Wicham (52).
Ciarán O’Regan (Ballyhea, Cork).
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