Jimmy Lee: ‘They'd never say it but you could sense the relief in their faces’

RELIEF: Limerick manager Jimmy Lee could sense the relief lift when his side defeated London. Pic:©INPHO/Leah Scholes

Jimmy Lee didn’t know how it was weighing on them. It was 17 league games without a win before they overcame London in Ruislip last February. The Limerick manager only saw what it had been doing to them when the streak came to an end.

"The older players that were in the squad for many years, I didn't realise the impact until after we beat London. You could see nearly a sense of relief in their faces,” he said.

“They'd never say it but you could sense the relief in their faces. As I met them on the field that day, I saw players smiling. That relief was coming more from the older lads in the panel, so it was baggage. Unnecessary baggage, I suppose. At times we don't understand what's going on inside the four walls of our own heads but it definitely was having an impact.” 

Amidst all the talk of turnover, there are stalwarts in that squad who have given years of service. Josh Ryan, Iain Corbett, Paul Maher and Peter Nash all featured that day. The group kicked on from that victory and earned a fitting reward as they face Wexford in the Division 4 final this Saturday.

“These lads would have performed for years and put their shoulders to the wheel and wore the jersey with pride. It was great looking at it and watching it, knowing that the monkey was off the back because they had worked hard for it. There was a build-up in the local media as well where the commentary was, 'It's now 15, it's now 16...' I suppose you'd be hoping they're not listening to it but it does sink in.” 

They have made history along the way. James Naughton’s incredible 4-12 return against Waterford in the final round is the greatest individual tally by a footballer in a senior inter-county game. He hit 4-3 from play and one two-point free. It goes above Frankie Donnelly’s record of 4-11 against Fermanagh in a 1957 Lagan Cup game.

"I actually didn't realise it until the very end,” said Lee.

“Myself and Micheál Cahill, who is the head coach, hadn't fully realised it. I know we had radios on and the stats lads were kind of saying it, but I suppose you don't tune into it. It wasn't until the end of it that we realised he had knocked up the 4-12. It is fair clipping."

What does it do for the Limerick footballers? Naughton’s club, St Senans, were able to celebrate a rare appearance for one of their own on RTÉ’s Sunday night highlights show. The vibes are good. It keeps building, they sense it as they kicked 2-21 to down Tipperary in Rathkeale earlier this month.

Next is an outing in Croke Park on Saturday. Lee hopes that will lead to a crowd turning out for the visit of Cork to the Gaelic Grounds on Saturday week in the opening round of the Munster Championship.

“Even watching the Sunday Game, seeing James up there in lights, it's massive for the players just to get that recognition. They work hard. They're putting in the same amount of effort. The new rules definitely have brought more attention to the players. They're enjoying it more. Obviously winning helps that as well. It gives them that freedom to express themselves.

“I was talking to one of the lads involved with the Munster Council and supporters are returning to football games because of the rules. Some lad he was talking to at the weekend hadn't been at a game in four years but he's started to enjoy it again. You'd see that in the crowds.

“You could sense the energy the night against Tipperary coming off the stand. The players, I won't say they crave it, but it's a by-product of it. It gives them a lift. That's all you'd ever ask for them, that they're enjoying what they're doing.”