Hayes comes of age on hurling’s biggest stage
KYLE HAYES was my Man of the Match in yesterday’s thrilling final. For a young lad who has only just turned 20, he gave an incredible performance on such a huge occasion. He epitomised Limerick in many ways. He took on the responsibility in the second half when they needed someone to step up. He got a few scores to get the scoreboard moving and he had Gearóid McInerney in trouble throughout the game, as he was constantly searching for the ball and dropping back the field to get involved. Hayes was a hero for Limerick, but they had heroes all over the field. Prior to the match, I thought Galway would be stronger down their spine. But it was Limerick who held the upper hand in the central positions. Goalkeeper Nickie Quaid’s use of the ball was excellent. Declan Hannon was superb in the first half. He sat back and intercepted a couple of vital balls and got a couple of nice points. Séamus Flanagan never stopped running. His work-rate and movement were extraordinary and there had been fears over how Mike Casey would handle Johnny Glynn, but he did a great job on Galway’s towering full-forward. He did everything he could to wrap Glynn up. Referee James Owens had a bit of an uneven game, he made a lot of strange decisions in the first half, but Casey knew how to play him. He was clever about how he policed Glynn. He would hold him and let him go and it allowed him to get to grips with Glynn — in every way. They all deserve mention, as does David Burke who was heroic in defeat for Galway. But Hayes stood out for me, for such a young player to come to Croke Park and grab an All-Ireland final like he did, early in the second half, was something to behold.