Mullins looking forward to ‘great challenge’ Clare in Munster decider

While the Limerick senior hurlers limped into the Munster final on points differential after their four-point loss to Tipperary on Sunday, the minor hurlers, under the tutelage of Diarmuid Mullins made it six points from their four games to finish top of the pile and secure their place in the final on June 30.

After draws against Cork and Waterford in the opening two games, Limerick knew they would need two wins against Clare and Tipperary to guarantee their place in the final, something they achieved in comprehensive style with a 3-24 to 1-15 win in Thurles.

After the game Mullins was delighted not only with the manner of the victory but in qualifying for the Munster decider.

“Job done. We knew after the first two rounds that we would need two wins to get to the Munster Final and got them wins. I thought today we played really well but we know that performance is in the lads.”

Coming into the game, Limerick had yet to find the net in the championship, racking up tallies of 0-19, 0-11 and 0-16 before the Thurles clash.

On Sunday they accounted for three goals with Mullins relieved that his side finally put away a couple of chances which they had been creating in each game.

“We’ve been creating chances and haven’t been finishing them and today we created some chances and finished some of them, so it is a relief. Up front we know we have some very good individual forwards and I suppose it has just been a case of knitting them together and it worked well for us today.”

After a dominant first half performance that had Limerick leading 2-13 to 0-7 heading into the break, Mullins was eager to see his side not rest on their laurels and continue to take the game to Tipp with Adam English’s second half goal adding to Cathal O’Neill and Aidan O’Connor’s efforts in the first half.

“We had huge momentum in the first half and if Tipperary had come back into it, it’s very hard to reassert that momentum so thankfully the lads pushed on and kept the scoreboard ticking.”

Now Limerick can look forward to a Munster final against Clare which will act as a curtain raiser for the senior final between Limerick and Tipperary.

After a dogged 0-16 to 0-13 win over the Banner in the group stages Mullins is aware of the challenge at hand but is looking forward to the game and also the All-Ireland series which Limerick are now guaranteed to compete in.

“That’s the aim but it’s going to be a huge battle. We just need to concentrate on ourselves and express ourselves.”

“The bonus is that we are into the All-Ireland series which means these guys get another six or seven weeks playing before the senior games, getting that exposure which I think is important.”

“When you’re playing a team for the second time that can be a challenge but isn’t that a great challenge to have so we’ll look forward to it.”

Watch the full interview with Mullins below