Limerick manager John Kiely issues positive injury update after win over Cork

LIMERICK’S Allianz Hurling League Division 1A clash with Galway on March 21 will effectively be a semi-final showdown after both sides scored impressive wins on Saturday night.

Shane O’Brien, Cathal O’Neill and Aidan O’Connor grabbed goals as the Treaty had eight points to spare against Cork. Earlier in the evening, Galway had a statement 0-35 to 0-17 win over Kilkenny.

With ‘the Rebels’ hosting already-relegated Offaly in their last game, they will expect to bounce back and get the two points which will secure their spot in the decider, which will be played on the first weekend in April. The winner of the Limerick-Galway clash in the TUS Gaelic Grounds will almost certainly join Cork in that final.

Ahead of the clash with the Tribesmen at the TUS Gaelic Grounds, manager John Kiely had positive updates on the injury statuses of Darragh O'Donovan and Peter Casey.

“Darragh got a nice bang on it, an AC joint, but he has put in a tremendous amount of effort this week in terms of his rehab, he's made a huge amount of personal sacrifices to try and get himself right, and more credit to him for that.

“He's after making an incredible amount of progress in a very short space of time, and we'd hope to see him back on the training pitch in a couple of weeks.

“Peter in a good place too, he'll be back training next week,” he added.

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Meanwhile, Matthew Fitzgerald and Dan Morrissey were ruled out of the win over ‘the Rebels’ with ‘minor’ injuries while Eddie Stokes is also recovering as the Limerick manager expressed relief that they have got through an intense period of the season.

“All told, we've come through a block of three games of high intensity, and we've come out the other side of it in a great place really as a group overall, it's the hardest period of the year to get through without having and suffering major injuries, so we're very pleased with that.

“One of the standout pieces for me is we didn't pick up another injury tonight, on the back of three games, three weeks in a row, so that's a really, really great sign of the work that Adrian O'Brien has been doing with the lads from a strength and conditioning perspective.”

Next up is a Galway side who started their campaign with losses against Cork and Tipperary, but have since found their form.

“I think it's great for both teams that we can look forward to that challenge now, and it'll be a great game here in two weeks' time, and we look forward to it, it will be a great challenge,” Kiely said.

“I've been watching them right throughout the league, they've been playing exceptionally well, working extremely hard, a lot of really exciting, good young players coming through there, so we know there's going to be a right challenge ahead of us for two weeks' time, so we look forward to that,” Kiely added.