Familiar Galway test is next up for Limerick hurlers

LIMERICK'S senior hurlers are back in action next weekend when they face Galway in Pearse Stadium this coming Sunday. John Kiely's side earned their first Allianz Hurling League Division 1 victory against Clare at the TUS Gaelic Grounds last time out and will be hoping to continue that form against the Tribesmen.

Limerick have a number of injury worries ahead of that game with Declan Hannon, David Reidy and Mike Casey all injury doubts. Cathal O'Neill and Fergal O'Connor are also doubts for the game. O'Neill missed UL's last three games, including the Fitzgibbon Cup Final, while O'Connor left the game against Clare with an injury in the first half.

In better news for the Limerick setup, Colin Coughlan made his return for UL having missed the Clare game with a hamstring problem. Both Coughlan and English played starring roles for the Limerick college in their 15-point win over the University of Galway in the decider.

Kiely and his backroom team would have been delighted with how Cian Lynch came through the Clare victory in his first start since the second game of the 2022 Munster SHC round robin.

The same would have been thought for Peter Casey who scored three points on his first start since the 2021 All-Ireland Final win over Cork. Limerick sit in third place after their two games in Division 1 Group A of the Allianz Hurling League.

They face a Galway outfit that also have a win and a defeat from their opening two games. Henry Shefflin's side put in a disappointing performance in their last outing against Cork, losing on a 4-24 to 3-22 scoreline at Pearse Stadium.

The county's last met in the All-Ireland semi-final last July with Limerick coming out victorious on a 0-27 to 1-21 scoreline. That was a tight game throughout and Limerick will be expecting a similar encounter in Galway on Sunday.

Shefflin has used the two games in the league thus far to blood several newcomers and is likely to experiment further this weekend. There is another two-week break after this round of fixtures. Limerick travel to Westmeath on March 11, before they welcome Wexford to the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, March 19.