‘There’s no fear of Kilmallock – they have fantastic hurlers’
Even in defeat, it was clear that the connection between Mackey, Hickey and the Babec will remain
GAA Coverage in association with Lyons of Limerick Ford
AFTER the county final win over Na Piarsaigh, the long-serving Robbie Egan described the management duo of James Hickey and Noel Mackey as “honourary Kilmallock men”.
The emotion seen from the pair after that victory over Na Piarsaigh showed how much the south Limerick men meant to the duo.
Even in defeat, it was clear that the connection between Mackey, Hickey and the Babec will remain, even as the pair prepare for pastures new when they join the backroom team of the Carlow senior hurlers.
“We could value our self-worth on winning,” Mackey stated outside a devastating dressing room at Walsh Park after the nine-point loss to Ballygunner in the Munster semi-final. “The values in that dressing room are more than winning.
“They're very good people, the town itself has unbelievable people. They're emotional people they get behind the club.
“If I was to value the year, it was the relationships I made up there, the fellas who stood up when things were tough and again how we kicked on from the very first round and ended up bringing home the John Daly Cup at the end of the year, it was unbelievable,” he said.
The game itself was a physical affair.
Both sides put their bodies on the line for their jerseys - in the case of Dessie Hutchinson and Robbie Egan literally as both needed a change of kit in this tense affair.
“We came in at half-time, our tackle count was high,” Mackey noted. “The game was always going to have aggression in the middle third. We were coming with a lot of application, we probably just needed more on the board.
“Start of the second half again, we got stuck in, they got ahead and we brought it back to a point. I suppose that last 10 or 12 minutes they got space and they took their scores - but I can't fault our lads,” he said of a run that saw the Gunners score the last eight points after Pierce Connery reduced the deficit to one with 10 minutes remaining.
“All year (they performed) we went seven out of seven in a difficult county championship, came here today and gave it everything. We just came up short you know and more luck to Ballygunner they saw it out.”
And, it was more about Ballygunner kicking on a gear, rather than the Limerick men running out of legs after the end of an intense season.
“Actually look you watch any level of hurling like be it inter-county level, be it any level, it becomes very unstructured at times with six or eight minutes to go and they were able to switch to play a bit and have their bodies in the right area that can nail scores from 50-60 yards,” Mackey outlined.
“A lot of those boys - I know them with years - they don’t miss. But I couldn’t fault Kilmallock, they kept going and going.”Added manager Hickey: “If you give a good team like that opportunities, they are going to punish you.
“As good teams do, if you give them oxygen, you give them opportunities and they’ll kill you.”
Like Mackey, ‘Bomber’ Hickey was a proud figure as he players departed the field having given it their all for the green and white jersey.
“I’m very happy with our lads, we’ve had a fantastic year,” he said. “They gave everything they have there and sometimes you have to put your hand up and say ‘you were beaten by the better team’ and you have to accept it unfortunately.
“There’s no fear of Kilmallock – they have fantastic hurlers.”