'We missed too many chances' bemoans manager as Limerick exit U20 football championship

"WE weren’t the worst team - we were on a par with Tipperary or maybe a little bit ahead in certain aspects of the game but it’s bitterly disappointing to be out of the championship," surmised Limerick U20 football manager Jerry O'Sullivan.

The manager was speaking last evening in Thurles after Limerick lost 0-16 to 1-10 to Tipperary in the Munster quarter final.

Limerick trailed by eight points mid-way through the second half but ultimately their fight back fell short on a night when they had 10 wides.

"One game and for the amount of work that is gone into it, it’s something savage," sighed the Limerick manager.

"We need to take our chances and we needed to get scores in the first half and I think we just missed too many chances and when it comes to championship you have got to take every chance. We worked extremely hard and worked the ball in for those scoring chances but they just didn’t go over the bar and ultimately at the end I don’t think we were that far behind Tipperary," he outlined.

Limerick led 0-2 to 0-1 at the end of the first quarter but had seven wides by half time.#

"We probably should have been another couple of scores up in that first quarter and then Tipperary came out and went in four points up at half time so they won that second quarter fairly comprehensively and we still had a few chances in that second quarter but again didn’t take them. I don’t know if it was our shot selection or not - I will have to look back at the video."

It was 0-14 to 0-6 at the end of the third quarter before the late Limerick rally.

"We always knew we could finish strong and we knew the fitness was there and the boys died in their boots out there in the field tonight. To a man they were brilliant and I couldn’t fault them - we just didn’t take our chances. The ball didn’t bounce our way and ultimately that’s the reason why we lost it," said O'Sullivan of his players.

"Always when you lose a championship game it’s disappointing. This is our third year playing Tipperary and two out of three ain't bad but that’s stark consolation to us now." 

O'Sullivan is confident many have bright futures at inter-county level.

"They have grown and unfortunately we were only able to get six or seven weeks with them this year - we didn’t get as many challenge games as we would have wished but that was the same for every county. I am sure these guys will come strong again. From my own point of view I know these guys have developed and moved forward. I have no doubt they will wear the Limerick jersey again at senior level - weather that will be next year or the coming years."