Battle for Limerick's number one jersey is in ‘melting pot’ says Barry Hennessy

FORMER Limerick goalkeeper Barry Hennessy feels the battle between Jason Gillane and Shane Dowling for the Limerick number one jersey is ‘very much still in the melting pot.’ Dowling and Gillane have played two games each in the Allianz Hurling League to date this year.

“It's obviously been competitive. They've obviously been different games and different conditions. Shane obviously had a very good game at the weekend and from a performance point of view across the four games it was probably a stand-out performance. He had little bit more to do in terms of what Jason had to do. I still think it's very much in the melting pot between the two of them,” Barry Hennessy said.

“I don't think you can read too much into it and say Shane is now the nailed on guy. It's been very close up to now. They're trying to find their person, instill their trust in them and tweak the system around them.”

Young players Shane O'Brien, Aidan O'Connor, Adam English, Cathal O'Neill and Colin Coughlan scored 1-13 out of Limerick's 1-27 against Galway last Saturday.

It already seems as if manager John Kiely will have some big decisions to make in terms of his starting XV for the championship.

“I think the positive note for Limerick is the younger lads are really stepping up. “And that breeds the competition in the squad. It's a breath of fresh of air to see those young lads taking their opportunity and putting the pressure on the more established lads.”

Hennessy believes that these younger players are no longer the fringe players in the squad.

“These lads have been ready to go, and even though, I suppose, they do have to serve a little bit of an apprentice-
ship, I think the one thing that the management team have been really good at over the last few years during their tenure has just been creating a panel and creating a squad.

“You can genuinely say that any one of the 37 lads could play for Limerick on any given day.”

John Kiely says that goalkeeper Nickie Quaid is making good progress from the ACL injury he picked up. “Nickie is working very, very hard and has from almost day dot to be honest with you.

“Once he got over the operation, within two weeks he was doing a bit of recovery. It's going extremely well, he's working extremely hard.

“He's back hitting a few balls again, he still has a long, long way to go there's no two ways about that, but he's pushing the envelope and we're assisting him in doing that, the medical team are doing fantastic work with him,” John Kiely said.

Kilmallock clubman Hennessy sees Limerick taking each games as it comes over the next two weekends

“From knowing John and the group of lads that are so competitive, they obviously want to win everything.

“I do think this year has been nearly like a fresh start, you had a management reset and there has been a lot of young lads brought back into the panel. I think John took his opportunity to tweat a few things after the Cork defeat last year.

“It's something positive comes from the next two games, I think it will be a case of well and good. They'll take it on a game by game basis but if it doesn't I don't think it will faze the group to be honest because they've had a very good campaign,” added Hennessy.