John Kiely: ‘We can mix it with the best of them now’
Monday, April 2, 2018
By John Harrington GAA Sports Writer.
Limerick’s Allianz League adventure was finally ended after extra-time by Tipperary in Saturday’s semi-final, but manager John Kiely’s glass remains more than half-full.
Promotion to the top tier was secured, and wins over quality teams like Galway and Clare have shown his young team are now ready to compete with the heavy hitters.
And even though they lost to Tipperary, the character and quality they showed in that match will leave a more lasting impression than the result itself.
“We played three really top teams in the last week and we have mixed it up with all three of them,” said Kiely after the game.
“And these teams have ambitions to be in Croke Park in July and August and why shouldn’t we have ambitions to be in Croke Park in July and August.
“The fact is that we can mix it with the best of them now and we know that. There is a massive room for improvement in our team, the boys know that.
“We have a bit of work to do and we are going to get at it. We will get ready for 20thof May when Tipp will come to the other side of the border and face us.
“If tonight is anything to go by, it will be one hell of a battle.”
Limerick were the better team for significant portions of Saturday’s semi-final, but they let themselves down with some poor shooting and occasional lapses of concentration in defence.
Those mistakes are typical of a young, inexperienced team, and are ones that should be ironed out as they continue to mature and improve in the coming months and years.
“We dominated sections of the game and didn’t reap as much reward for dominance at the time in terms of getting it on the scoreboard,” said Kiely.
“I think it was a big factor. That was the biggest factor. We made a few mistakes here and there and that’s always going to cost you a score or two and you get over that.
“But what you can control is when you have the ball yourself and you’re dominating a phase of play and you need to get more scores on the board. That was the bottom line.”
Cian Lynch of Limerick leaves the pitch during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 semi-final match between Tipperary and Limerick at Semple Stadium.
Cian Lynch of Limerick leaves the pitch during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 semi-final match between Tipperary and Limerick at Semple Stadium.
Some of Tipperary’s general play might not have been as fluid as Limerick’s was, but they were a lot more clinical with the scoring chances that came their way which ultimately proved decisive.
“Their accuracy was unerring,” said Kiely. “They struck the ball extremely well. They were very accurate. Were it not for that, we would have been up half-time.
“I’m delighted with the boys’ performance. I thought they showed massive resilience again today. They refused to go away even seven points down in injury-time.
“In the second period of added time, we still brought it back to a goal and had a couple of chances to get the ball around the house and see what happened.
“We definitely took it to the wire and I’m mighty proud of the lads; they’ve had a fantastic league campaign. To get out of 1B and up to 1A was huge for us.
“We’re looking forward to that next spring. To win a quarter-final against Clare has been a nice one to get to the semi.
“We would have liked to have made the final, absolutely, but it wasn’t to be this year. But I think we learned an awful lot from the last three matches, a huge amount about the team.
“It gives them mental strength and psychological strength to know that they can keep coming back and coming back.
“You can’t buy that, you have to experience that and come through it. Our lads have come through it.”