CHAMPS IN SAFE HANDS AFTER DUMPING DEISE
“You always feel secure with Nickie”
“We are limiting our movements significantly”
THERE was a sense after the game on Saturday night, that if anything threatens to derail Limerick’s bid to become the first senior team from the county to secure backto-back All-Irelands, it would have to be down to factors outside of their control.
Because when it comes to what happens on the field, this was another power-packed performance by the champions who weathered the storm Waterford whipped up in the first quarter and then almost casually reeled off six points in a row to remove any notions of an upset.
The holders were relentless in their desire and application and, in the words of manager John Kiely himself, look to be actually improving as they hunt down a third Liam MacCarthy Cup in four years.
But there was a reason that Kiely fielded a question about the footballers of Tyrone. If there is one element out of Limerick’s control, it’s the rise of coronavirus cases in the community and the impact that can have on a county team at any given time.
Looking at how Tyrone lost players ahead of the Ulster final against Monaghan and how their All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry hangs in their balance due to the number of players isolating in the Red Hand camp, Kiely is well aware of how even the best honed plans can be derailed.
‘It is a challenge. It’s a big challenge, and has been a huge challenge,’ Kiely insisted.
‘Like, team sport is about being close. So how do you keep them apart and still achieve what you’re trying to achieve?
‘So it is hard. We are in the fortunate position where we have everybody vaccinated in our group, which is a huge plus. Our medical team are doing a fantastic job at training every night.
‘To be fair to the players and the backroom team, we are limiting our movements quite significantly.
‘Individually in our own lives away from training and when we’re at training we tog out in the stand, in the Mackey Stand.
‘We’ve limited use of showers. We travel to training on our own.
‘We do a lot of things we can to try and mitigate the risk but the risk is still there so hopefully we can come through the next 10 days, hopefully.’
One player came in for special mention afterwards. While Séamus Flanagan finished with four points from play and Tom Morrissey with five and Gearóid Hegarty, Diarmaid Byrnes and Cian
Lynch came off to ovations with Limerick 11 ahead late on, the consistent brilliance of Nickie Quaid in goal stood out.
It was the summer of 2018 that his exploits travelled across the Atlantic to Sports Illustrated, where his crucial flick of the ball away from Séamus Harnedy was the turning point of an All-Ireland semi-final and made a weekend highlights package of spectacular sporting moments in the prestigious American publication.
And he was at it again on Saturday night, standing up bravely to deflect the ball off his own helmet at one point as Waterford tried in vain to find the net.
Between his laser-guided puck-outs, his shot-stopping, and the way in which he even reached above the crossbar at one stage to bring down a Stephen Bennett point attempt, he showed that Limerick’s class starts from the number one position out.
‘You always feel secure with Nickie. You always feel that he has a chance of making the save,’ Kiely continued.
‘He is very, very good at the ball dropping in around the square, he’s got very secure hands, he’s brave, super reflex actions.
‘Probably thrilled for Timmy Houlihan and the lads that work with the
goalkeepers on a nightly basis, the coaching staff for the goalkeepers. I’m thrilled for them, because they get very little recognition really. Let’s be honest about it. And they worked tremendously hard,’ added Kiely.
‘Goalkeepers, I assure you, work twice as hard as any other player on the field. They are obsessed with their aspect of the game. And I can assure you, there isn’t a keeper that works harder in the country than Nickie Quaid.
‘And he gets rewarded by just being able to do all those things so well. And he makes them look easy, and they’re not easy.
‘Like the catch on the ball off the crossbar. I would give Nickie Quaid a chance at that, all day, every day.
‘He’s just superb in the air. And to have that in your goalkeeper is very reassuring, and obviously great for your defence to know you have that guy behind you,’ said the Limerick boss.
Another clean sheet then for Nickie Quaid to add to his goalkeeping collection, the netminder making a string of reaction saves any time Waterford threatened the net.
Given the effort that Waterford had expended, and the ferocious tackling they put in, particularly in that first quarter, it must have been a shell-shocked Waterford dressing room at half-time. At that point they were trailing by eight, 0-15 to 0-7.
And just like that, Limerick stretched it out to 10 before Waterford showed great character to rally.
The game turned then on one deadball. Shane Bennett took a Waterford sideline from the Hogan Stand side that Limerick’s Peter Casey plucked, fed Hegarty who played in Aaron Gillane who stuck it in the top corner from a tight angle on the right.
It was just such a sucker blow at a time when Waterford had their tails up — you could almost see the wind go out of the team’s sail.
Peter Casey’s straight red card for an off-the-ball tangle was the only note of concern for the champions from there to the finish as they rubber-stamped their status as the team to beat in the 2021 Championship.
LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, D Morrissey, B Nash (C Coughlan 73); D Byrnes (R English 68), D Hannon, K Hayes; W O’Donoghue, D O’Donovan; G Hegarty (D Reidy 66), C Lynch (C Boylan 70), T Morrissey; P Casey, S Flanagan (G Mulcahy 67), A Gillane.
Scorers: A Gillane 1-5 (4fs), T Morrissey 0-5, S Flanagan 0-4, C Lynch, D Byrnes 0-3 (2fs) each, P Casey 0-2, G Hegarty, W O’Donoghue, D O’Donovan 0-1 (f) each
Yellow card: C Lynch 16 Red card: Peter Casey 59 Wides: 9 (5)
WATERFORD: S O’Brien; I Kenny (S Fives 55), C Prunty, S McNulty; C Lyons, Shane Bennett, K Bennett; J Barron, P Hogan (D Lyons 41); J Fagan (N Montgomery 52), J Prendergast (M Kiely 41), Stephen Bennett; D Hutchinson, A Gleeson, C Gleeson.
Scorers: Stephen Bennett 0-6 (5fs), A Gleeson 0-4 (1f, 1 s-l), D Hutchinson, J Barron, C Lyons 0-2 each, K Bennett 0-1 Yellow card: S McNulty 48 Wides: 7 (7) Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow)