Kilmallock progress to quarter-finals of SHC

Champions Kilmallock eased into the quarter-finals of the Limerick SHC with a 3-11 to 0-9 win over Effin this Thursday evening.

Allen has hinted that there could be “one or two” changes from the semi-final win over Tipperary, but he said that it won’t be anything as dramatic as dropping Brian O’Driscoll or Kieran Donaghy from the Lions and Kerry football teams respectively.

“If Warren Gatland can do it and Eamonn Fitzmaurice can do it, why not us,” he joked.

He added: “I tend to be fairly conservative but at the same time you can’t ignore really good form in training and you just have to weigh up form, experience and the blend of the team”.

Limerick will announce their team after training on Thursday night.

“Touch wood everyone is more or less ok – obviously we have tweaks like Paudie O’Brien with a hamstring and James Ryan with a hand problem, but the medical advise is that they will be ok. There is always a chance someone will get injured right up to throw in time but so far so good,” confirmed the Limerick manager.

“It’s great to have everybody available for the big games.”

Allen said that his semi-final selection worked and it hoping to once again find the right “blend”.

“We started the 15 that maybe caused some discussion and then we made changes that all worked but we also know that could the opposite. We have had two green versus whites inhouse games over the past fortnight and a number of players who didn’t start the last day have shown good form,” he explained.

“The majority of the team will probably start the same as the last day but there might be a change or two but I don’t really know until what the four of us decide what the best 15 to start will be and what the best 20 will be and who will make the matchday panel,” outlined Allen.