Diarmaid Byrnes: Limerick's final opponents Waterford are 'serious team and well organised'

DIARMAID Byrnes insists that there is a "massive challenge" ahead of Limerick in the 2020 All-Ireland SHC final against Waterford.

The December 13 final comes just four weeks after the sides met in the Munster SHC final when Limerick were four point winners in Semple Stadium.

"There is another massive challenge ahead of us again," warned the Limerick wing back.

"They are a serious team and well organised so we will have a lot to work on ourselves - we will focus on ourselves and bring the best that we can bring and after that just hope for the best," said Byrnes in a TV interview after Sunday's semi final win over Galway.

The Patrickswell man insisted that Limerick were not looking to atone for the semi final loss a year previous to Kilkenny.

"If you keep dwelling on the past, you will stay there. We are a team focused on the future and we will focus on two weeks time again. The past is in the past and there is nothing we can do about it but we can look forward to two weeks time," said Byrnes, who was named Littlewoods Ireland Man of the Match on Sky Sports.

Byrnes felt that Limerick have plenty to work on ahead of the final. 

"We are absolutely delighted to be in a final and we have loads to work on again," 

He explained: "Every day that you go out you will find something to work on. I'm sure Paul (Kinnerk), the man that he is will find several more things to work on for the final".

Limerick hit 16 wides in the win over Galway and also failed to score a goal for the third game out of four in this championship.

"We did everything right except the execution - there is a lot to work on again but we will take this because we are absolutely delighted," said Byrnes.

"We made it difficult for ourselves - I believe we didn't everything right except the execution."

But not all the fault of the forwards. 

"The lads up front were relentless with the work they do," he emphasised.

Byrnes ended with three points.

It was his free in injury time that nudged Limerick 0-23 to 0-22 ahead.

"I looked up and had the scoreboard in one eye and it was a draw game at the time and I knew that the way the game was going that we needed a score so I was zoned into that," he recalled.

Limerick were to score four of the last five points to finally see off The Tribesmen.

"It shows the character in the squad," said Byrnes of the last rally of scores.