Treaty bandwagon rolls over off-colour Kilkenny
‘The scoreboard doesn’t lie,’ says Cody as Gillane runs show for Limerick
LIMERICK did to Kilkenny what the Cats did to others so often during their many years as the top force in the land.
An injection of pace, power and precision just before half-time surged the All-Ireland champions so far ahead that it would have taken a remarkable turnaround for Kilkenny to retrieve what looked a most unlikely situation after half an hour.
It was level at 0-7 each at that stage, but by the time the teams left for the half-time break, Limerick were 2-10 to 0-7 ahead.
All of Kilkenny’s good work against the strong wind was undone in the space of a minute when Shane Dowling and Conor Boylan pounced for goals, which were backed up by three points.
It meant that instead of being in a promising position at half-time, Kilkenny were facing a massive new challenge for which they weren’t fully equipped.
A good start to the second half was the minimum requirement if they were to mount a serious challenge, but instead it was Limerick who seized the initiative, scoring the next four points.
It meant that they had out-scored Kilkenny by 2-7 to 0-0 between the 32nd and 42nd minutes, a period when they played with the swagger and confidence that an All-Ireland win bestows on a panel.
They lined out without six of the 15 that started last year’s All-Ireland final, but such is the depth of the squad that the replacements slotted in seamlessly.
Tom Condon, Paddy O’Loughlin, Robbie Hanley, Boylan, Dowling and Barry Murphy did well, leaving manager John Kiely purring with delight.
With six points already secured, a place in the quarter-finals is all but guaranteed, so Kiely has the option of going deeper into experimental mode for the games against Cork and Clare.
However, he is not planning on interfering too much in case it disrupts the overall flow.
“Changes will come but they will be subtle because we have to give every fella a fair chance to fit into the system. Making too many changes wouldn’t reflect that.
“We’ll see how things are going. Obviously we’ll lose Paddy O’Loughlin and Aaron Gillane for a couple of weeks as they have the Fitzgibbon Cup final next weekend.
“It will give other lads an opportunity and I’m sure they will be looking forward to it,” said Kiely.
There’s so much for the Limerick squad to enjoy right now that every opportunity a player gets, he treats it as precious.
Slotted
Condon, who has slotted into the fullback line in place of the injured Mike Casey, certainly did that yesterday, turning in a man-of-the match performance.
He has had to bide his time but he never allowed frustration to get to him.
“He offered a lot of leadership off the pitch over the last 18 months. He’s been injured quite a bit but he always brings huge leadership qualities,” said Kiely.
Winning the All-Ireland title has increased the leadership instincts all over the place and with Limerick’s game-plans ticking along nicely, it really was a satisfactory day for them.
Their passing game was especially effective against the strong wind in the second half, not just in terms of manoeuvring into scoring positions but also in denying Kilkenny possession.
They looked to be on their way to inflicting one of Kilkenny’s biggest defeats in the Brian Cody era when they led by 14 points (2-16 to 0-8) after 47 minutes, but they managed just two more points while Kilkenny countered with 0-7.
The home side badly needed a goal to ignite a genuine revival and while Limerick had a few scary moments in front of their goal, they always managed to get in a flick or a block to deny Kilkenny, who were left to rue the defensive malfunction just before half-time.
“We started off really well against a strong wind but then they got two goals. The timing of them (was important). There was a lot of good things about our performance but the scoreboard doesn’t lie. They were that much ahead of us at the end of the day and that’s the reality of it,” said Cody.
Most of Kilkenny’s best work came in the first half-hour, during which their defence coped well, while Walter Walsh was marking his return with a hugely productive input at the other end.
However, it all changed quickly with defensive sloppiness contributing handsomely to both Limerick goals.
And with Aaron Gillane’s running and positioning causing serious problems, Kilkenny became a whole lot less secure.
When Limerick maintained control early in the second half, there wasn’t a whole lot Kilkenny could do, despite Richie Leahy’s best efforts to lead a comeback.
“The goals came close to half-time so it was hard for Kilkenny to respond and our lads took the game by the scruff of the neck early in the second half. We ran the ball well. It probably suited us playing against the wind,” said Kiely.
Everything seems to suit Limerick these days and while Kiely made a point of stressing that there’s a long season ahead, it’s clear that they have an All-Ireland/league double on their early agenda.
Retaining the league title is Kilkenny’s first priority but with Cillian Buckley, Richie Hogan and the Ballyhale Shamrocks contingent missing, it’s beginning to look beyond them.
“I’ve said already that I’d love to have everybody available to us but the Shamrocks have a terrific oppor- tunity themselves and we won’t even be looking to see them between now and St Patrick’s Day,” said Cody.
Next up for Kilkenny is Tipperary in Thurles on Sunday, a game they must win to give themselves a decent chance of reaching the quarter-finals. In terms of squad development, yesterday’s defeat was much more damaging than the setback against Clare when they were edged out by a point.
Their failure to start the second half better was particularly disappoint-
ing for their supporters in the 11,283 crowd as it allowed Limerick to settle into a routine from which they were not going to be displaced.
Granted, their scoring rate tapered off in the final 20 minutes but they were working from such a comfortable position that they always looked as if there was more in reserve if the occasion demanded.
“They’re working hard and enjoying their hurling. It’s another step in the right direction but there’s a long year ahead,” said Kiely.