Clean bill of health for Limerick minors for All Ireland final

LIMERICK will select from a full strength panel for Sunday’s All Ireland minor hurling final.

Goalkeeper Mark O’Kelly was in a protective boot last week after injuring his foot in a club game but has got the all clear to take his place between the posts in Croke Park.

Long term duo William O’Meara and Mark O’Dwyer are out but otherwise manager Pat Donnelly and selectors John Mulqueen and Brian Foley and coach Anthony Daly will select from a full hand. O’Meara and O’Dwyer played in the opening game of the campaign back in April but have missed the last four games.

The Limerick hand is strengthened since the semi final win over Dublin with Paul O’Brien back in training after he missed the wins over Dublin and Wexford.

Limerick minor team to be announced Friday evening for All Ireland MHC final. No late injury worrieshttps://t.co/5w82Y4oA2p #GAA #hurling

— Jerome O'Connell (@JeromeSport) August 30, 2016

As Limerick bid to end a wait since 1984 for an All Ireland minor crown, they must bridge a 17-point margin, by which Tipperary won the Munster final meeting of the sides.

“It’s hard to know, it wasn’t really about learning lessons - I can’t see where it came from,” recalled Donnelly of that Gaelic Grounds final.

“I would just say to the lads give it what you have; perform, perform, perform - that is all we ask. No need to do anything else only perform and we didn’t do that in the Munster final. We have played five matches and we won four and we didn’t turn up in the fifth, which just happened to be the Munster final,” said Donnelly.

“​I think there is real character in these players. I think the players realise that they have to have character, they have to have guts, they have to have determination, they have to do all that - the sum of all that is what will bring us success on September 4 if we are going to get it.”

“What we will ask them is to give the best that you can do and see where that get us.”