Jack Neville On Breaking Down The Banner

For the second consecutive Sunday, Limerick head into a win-at-all-costs Munster hurling championship match, this time against Clare in the Gaelic Grounds. Both teams come into the game with a win and a loss with a victory crucial for both sides chances of progressing past the Munster championship.

Limerick will have to be incredibly wary of a backlash from Clare who will be looking to replicate Cork who lost to Tipp at home before beating Limerick in the Gaelic Grounds the following week.

Limerick manager John Kiely is hugely aware of the threat of the Clare team, with the banner defeating Limerick in the championship in each of the previous three years. Speaking after the Waterford game, Kiely acknowledged the task at hand for his side.

“They gave us a trimming down in Ennis last year so it’s going to need another massive response from us and that’s the bottom line.”

“We lost our first game at home, we’re going back to our home support, we need to rock up with a huge performance because they deserve that.”

“The performance the last day was simply not good enough.”

Clare have become a real bogey team for Limerick, with just one championship victory against the Banner since 2013, with a couple of big losses suffered in the meantime, namely the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final and in the Munster championship last summer.

Clare have become a real bogey team for Limerick, with just one championship victory against the Banner since 2013, with a couple of big losses suffered in the meantime, namely the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final and in the Munster championship last summer.

Clare’s style of play is a huge problem for Limerick as they play a similar game to that of John Kiely’s side. As with Limerick, Clare retreat huge numbers in defence with half forwards like Tony Kelly and Diarmuid Ryan often in their own defensive third to suffocate the opposition attack.

Kelly’s role will be particularly decisive in the outcome of the game on Sunday as it was in Ennis last June. Named at centre-forward, Kelly will drop deep too get on the ball to either release dangerous inside forwards such as Shane O’Donnell and John Conlon or else take on his own shot with the Ballyea man more than capable from scoring inside his own half,

Last summer, Declan Hannon, kept his position at centre-back in the hope that Limerick’s midfield and half-forward unit would be able to prevent Kelly from getting easy ball. However, Kelly was on top form that day and dictated the play as Clare cantered to an 11-point win.

The workrate of the Limerick team will have to be incredibly high against Clare to ensure the ball into their forwards is not pinpoint as their forwards have the ability to put up big scores as they showed in their last encounter with Limerick.

However, Limerick will take solace in their performance last weekend where they were back close to their best while Clare capitulated in Cusack Park against Ennis.

Paddy O’Loughlin and William O’Donoghue made a huge difference to the team as did the subs who were introduced with each one getting on the scoresheet.

Yet, the most pleasing aspect of the game for Kiely will have been the performance of his half-forward line who contributed 1-5 from play as well as turning over their opponents’ countless times.

If Clare decide to persist with a sweeper in Colm Galvin, they will need to be on their game once more to negate his impact and allow quality ball into Gillane, Mulcahy and Casey.