LISTEN: Ciarán Carey “Limerick need to bring everything against Waterford”

Limerick aren’t going to have their way every time they go out onto the field whether that’s in league or in championship. They ground it out and got a result. I was very impressed with Dublin and they are one of the best teams that Limerick have met in the league so far. Both teams went with a sweeper and Dublin worked extremely hard and pound for pound it was the best match Limerick have got this year. 

You could see Mattie Kenny’s handprint all over the Dublin team. Eamonn Dillon got three points from play and looked very dangerous. Danny Sutcliffe was another forward that looked very dangerous, but I was really impressed with their defence. Eoghan O’Donnell and Sean Moran are top class. The only area where Dublin’s play was a bit weak and naïve, thankfully for Limerick, was the delivery of ball from their half back line and midfield. 

I was very happy with how Limerick went about their business. Usually when you get to a semi final or a final you are only a stones throw away from championship hurling. Graeme Mulcahy was very sharp and I thought he played very well. 

Cian Lynch was top class in the midfield as well. The goal with Byrnes, Lynch and Flanagan was brilliant. It was genius in the way it was done. A super ball from Byrnes and how Cian Lynch caught the ball in reverse action with his hand, then to sell the dummy and have the vision to find Seamus Flanagan. Of course Seamus stuck it into the net. 

That particular bit of play is Limerick at their best and they are like a well oiled machine. It was beautiful. You had three very skilful and intelligent players involved with the goal. It isn’t today or yesterday that Diarmaid Byrnes was delivering quality ball like that. Nine times out of 10 it’s in favour of the forward and that’s the type of ball you need to be giving. Last Sunday was no different. 

He saw the run from Cian Lynch. It was like a magnet being thrown onto a piece of steel. The genius really was when Cian Lynch turned the hand to catch it, dropped the shoulder and found Seamus Flanagan. It was poetry in motion and the best goal I have seen in the league and possible even in last year’s championship.

Waterford got a result against Galway when they underperformed. The first half wasn’t a great spectacle. You would imagine, looking at Galway, that it would have been an extra incentive to get the lads going and have another crack off Limerick and put the record straight from the All-Ireland. That just wasn’t there. To be fair to Waterford they started the league poorly, but got some momentum as it went on and did well to win against Galway. 

I still think Limerick are ahead of Waterford. Limerick are playing a Waterford team that are a different animal than what they have played so far. In Tadhg de Burca, they have a sweeper who is one of the best around. They know how to operate with a sweeper, they know how to work the ball through the channels, so whatever ball is given into the Waterford forwards a lot better than with Dublin could supply. 

Waterford have a lot of quality. Jamie Barron is flying in midfield, Pauric Mahony is flying, Austin Gleeson is flying. They have a lot of players with a lot of quality. It will be fascinating, but I think Limerick still are a few notches ahead of Waterford and need to go in with the arrogance of being All-Ireland champions into the game on Sunday.