O'Donoghue more than an enforcer

Gearóid Hegarty and William O’Donoghue have proven to be Limerick's main link men this season.

William O'Donoghue of Limerick in action against Peter Duggan of Clare during the Munster GAA Hurling Championship Final match between Clare and Limerick at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

There is little doubt that the art of passing has grown in importance in hurling. For history-chasing Limerick, their passing infuriates some, the short ‘Brick-flick’, the stick passes, the handpasses.

Those precise movements have been a trademark of Limerick, who rarely send a seemingly aimless delivery long or short. A look at who the key passes shows that Gearóid Hegarty and William O’Donoghue are the main link men. Hegarty, unsurprisingly, has shown a scoring threat this season, with 1-11 to his name, but 4-8 from direct assists also stands out.

Behind him O’Donoghue has quietly been very effective for John Kiely’s men. Directly assisting 1-11 appears a decent total for a player who is perceived by many as just an enforcer.

With just two points to his name, perhaps the 29-year-old knows which role serves the team best.

Hegarty’s brace of goal assists for Seamus Flanagan were typical of the St Patrick’s man. He did similar during his last visit to Croke Park, setting up two goals against Dublin during the spring. Considering that Cian Lynch has failed to hit top gear, so far, the spread of danger created by his comrades means that there isn’t a great worry about the two-time Hurler of the Year’s lack of big-game sparkle on Shannonside.

So what about that ‘launchpad’, the half-back line, so often Limerick’s greatest strength? Well, they too have shown they can deliver, and are heading back to their influential best. After assisting just 0-6 in the opening three games, they’ve stormed into form with 1-12 against Waterford and Clare, including 1-4 from Kyle Hayes in the second half against the Banner.

The trio — Hayes, Declan Hannon, and Diarmaid Byrnes — were targeted in that Páirc Uí Chaoimh bout, but have improved in those victories over Waterford and Clare. When you consider only Aaron Gillane (2-32) is inside the top dozen scorers in the championship, the firepower is well spread among this team.

Limerick continue to enforce a ‘death by 1,000 cuts’ policy in their hunt for hurling immortality.