“We’ll double down, get back on the training field and work hard” | John Kiely reacts to Cork League defeat

Limerick let an eight-point half-time lead slip as Cork picked up their second one-point win over the Shannonsiders iin 2023.

As they did in the first meeting of the sides in 2023, hosts Cork were one-point winners over Limerick, this time in the first round of the National League last Saturday night in Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

Despite leading by eight at the break, Cork had drawn level inside fifteen minutes of the restart with Robbie O’Flynn and Declan Dalton goaling for the hosts.

John Kiely’s men did regain the lead heading into injury time but scores from Conor Lehane and Shane Kingston secured the spoils for Cork.

After looking comfortable at the interval, Kiely says his side will be “disappointed” by the defeat but says they will be eager to get back to the training field ahead of Clare this Saturday.

“Listen, ultimately it’s a combination of factors. The opposition puts you under pressure and you respond accordingly. We didn’t cope in the second half as we’d like or expect and boys will be disappointed with that.

“But, it’s the first round of the league. We’ll double down, get back on the training field and work hard.”

Comparing to the Munster League, there was a far more familiar looking to the Limerick side with seven of the All-Ireland winning team returning to the XV.

Still there was a number of debutants with David McCarthy starting in goals in the league for the first time also following Barry Hennessy’s retirement. Shane O’Brien, Donnacha O’Dalaigh and Ciaran Barry featured form the bench for their league debuts with the latter pair finding the target.

Cian Lynch also made his long awaited return to action after missing out on the majority of the 2022 season with the Galbally man outlining how players need to make their minutes “count.”

“There’s a few of them there, they need as minutes as they can get. They need to make every minute count. it will be a great experience for them under their belt no doubt but listen, we came here to win the match and we didn’t.”

On the injury front, it was a positive evening’s work for Limerick considering Lynch’s return, Barry Murphy’s first league start since rupturing his ACL in 2021 while Declan Hannon was the only Limerick player forced off.

Ciaran Barry replaced the All-Ireland winning captain with twenty minutes to play after he suffered a finger injury. The damage will take some time to heal said Kiely in the aftermath but it is their only injury concern leaving the Pairc.

“Declan has a nasty cut to his finger and that will take a little bit of time. Other than that, I don’t think anything too major other than that.”

Limerick will return to the Gaelic Grounds for the first time since the Munster Championship clash with Tipperary last May this Saturday evening when they host Clare in the second round of the League.

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