Opinion: 'Next year starts now for Limerick hurlers' - Martin Kiely

THE fragility of champions was brought home to Limerick in its most brutal form in Croke Park last weekend as they crashed out of the All-Ireland hurling championship to a far hungrier Kilkenny team.

This was vintage Brian Cody as he and his men stung Limerick in the opening twenty minutes to such an extent that they never really recovered from it. The game had many talking points and Limerick can feel badly aggrieved by some of the very poor calls by referee Alan Kelly and his officials, but overall Limerick never really matched the levels of intensity Kilkenny brought to the contest.

Limerick had not experienced anything like this over the past couple of years. Some crunching challenges by Kilkenny in the opening half left many Limerick players bewildered.

Only a point separated the teams at the finish, but Kilkenny looked to have a great deal more currency than Limerick for all of this game. At no stage did Limerick lead, at no stage did they look like they could break the spirit, desire and workrate that Kilkenny brought to the game.

Brian Cody has masterminded many great wins for Kilkenny over the last twenty one years, but to me this win will match anything that has gone before.

Limerick were never allowed space or time on the ball, in reality Kilkenny dominated everything that moved between the two 45 metre lines and that was how this game was won.

Limerick were lucky to be still in the game at half time as Kilkenny were on top in every line. Limerick players were gasping for air and running to a standstill but making no progress. Cody’s gameplan of testing them early and often reaped rewards and Limerick simply had no answers.

JITTERY ON THE BALL

They were jittery on the ball, it wasn’t sticking to hurley or hand and you would have to think that those weeks waiting around took its toll. Such was Kilkenny’s control and power they should have been out of sight by half time.

When the fire was at its greatest Graeme Mulcahy kept Limerick in the game. He showed a massive appetite for work, while Aaron Gillane was also showing promise when early ball arrived. Kilkenny were direct and high ball on our full backline was causing huge problems.

For the first time we saw their stability exposed and it wasn’t helped by short passing and poor choices at times. Points by Mulcahy and Gillane kept Limerick on life support as TJ Reid, Walter Walsh and Colin Fennelly started to make a major impact.

Limerick survived on scraps as Kilkenny controlled the game. They hunted like hungry dogs and the player receiving the ball was hunted down. I said a number of times this year that Limerick's game plan would be targeted and none better than Brian Cody and Kilkenny to do that.

Limerick showed huge loyalty to short passing when the game last weekend needed something different, when it was clear the system was in real trouble. The gameplan is based around shooting and more shooting but the returns always present a huge number of wides.

On average, I would say we are on fifteen wides per game and while we got away with that on a number of days it proved to be very costly against a Kilkenny team that showed far more economy.

When the opposing half backline matches your half forward line for scores then you are in trouble. The contribution of just seven points from our starting team, midfielders and half forward line, would never be sufficient to win big championship games.

SMALL GRIP

Limerick started to get a small grip with about twenty five minutes gone in the game. At that stage Kilkenny were leading 1-11 to 0-6. Kilkenny would only add one more point over the next twelve minutes of play.

The penalty gave Limerick a life line and Aaron Gillane put it away brilliantly. The gap of just three points on the score board felt a great deal more.

Declan Hannon to me didn’t look right in the warm-up. He struggled from the start and you knew he was far from right. Dr James Ryan looked at him three times and with 19.37 gone in the first half and if body language could talk you knew his evening was over.

Kyle Hayes had gone back in support and Dan Morrissey would later take over, but he too struggled to hold the centre.

The level of aggression and intensity that Kilkenny played with was enormous. Limerick were on life support for nearly all of the first half after they experienced the ferocious play that Kilkenny expressed.

CLOSING DOWN SPACE

To Limerick’s credit they did work a great deal harder in the second half. They were starting to close down the space and were making progress. They came within a point of Kilkenny on three occasions between the 44th and 50th minutes and we started to feel that they were going to push on.

However, Kilkenny brilliantly led by TJ Reid, Padraigh Walsh and the very impressive Adrain Mullen, took charge again.

Shane Dowling’s goal reduced the margin and gave hope again. From here to the finish it was heart stopping stuff. For as much as Limerick worked to find a match levelling score Kilkenny showed massive courage to hold out. The 65’ that wasn’t given was a travesty and Limerick as All-Ireland champions were badly let down by the GAA.

John Kiely did what he always did and faced the music and took it on the chin but it’s really not good enough when you consider the effort that everyone puts in. Losing semi finals has a chilling effect on body and mind. It takes a while for its effects to leave the system.

They will just about be starting to deal with it when All-Ireland final day will bring it all back to them again.

Limerick showed massive resolve and lesser teams would have folded their tent at halftime. They didn’t play well, they struggled to cling on, but they did.

LOTS OF QUESTIONS

The aftermath will have lots of questions. They will use the word ‘if’ a great deal. Some might ask what if they had taken off Declan Hannon earlier as it looked clear he was in trouble. What if Cian Lynch was moved onto Padraig Walsh.

What if Shane Dowling was brought in earlier and placed at full forward. I am sure many more questions could be added but our dream was shattered by a team that came into the game with a hunger that Limerick could not match.

The most crucial thing about any experience is to take the learning from it. I am sure John Kiely, management and players will take a huge amount from that game and that will serve them well in the future. The journey has been fantastic and the joy experienced by Limerick people at home and around the world will never be forgotten.

Those special days delivered in 2018 will linger long in our hearts, they have fuelled us to want more. I am very sure this team will have great days again. Yes, the journey back will be difficult and challenges will be great, but this bunch of players will respond and great days will come again very soon.

The way to judge a man or team is how they respond in defeat. I think John Kiely hit the nail on the head after the game.

This game will not define them was his telling message and you could feel already that he will leave no stone unturned to put it right. There was a time in Limerick when we are happy to be in finals. That is no longer the case.

Our team and management delivered the prize we wanted so badly but John Kiely will have moved on from that. To him next year starts now so lets get on with it.