Tipperary next up for Limerick footballers in McGrath Cup:
By John Keogh Limerick Leader Sport
LIMERICK’S senior footballers continue their McGrath Cup campaign on this Sunday afternoon when they make the trip to Templetuohy for a fixture with Tipperary.
Jimmy Lee’s side are on the back of a heavy loss to Kerry in their first outing and he is likely to continue experimentation with the panel of players for their final game in the competition.
Although he was happy with some aspects of the performance against Kerry, Lee will be hopeful of of more positives from the Tipperary game as they prepare for their opening league fixture with Antrim on Sunday, January 28. Twelve players in all made their first senior inter-county Limerick appearances in the 6-18 to 0-11 defeat in Rathkeale last Saturday.
Brian O’Sullivan, Emmet Rigter, Andrew Meade, Bryan Nix, Darragh Siochrú and Eoin Hurley started the game, while Jeffrey Alfred, Joe Sweeney, Aaron Neville, Tadgh Siochrú, Shane Costello and Daniel Daly came off the bench.
Lee is currently working with a panel of 47 for the opening games of the season and is expected to reduce that ahead of the Antrim fixture on Sunday week. The Newcastle West man admitted that he is currently trying to find the right blend between youth and experience.
“There was a lot of youth out there. Six started and across the panel there was 12 that had debuts. It’s back to rebuilding.
“Certain movements I was happy with and other bits, we won’t be happy with. We will review this and work from it during the week. Tipperary will be a different challenge.
“This is about building. Why would you worry about the scoreline? We had a couple of 19-year-old’s there today and lads in their early 20s.
“It’s about getting that blend right. We have brought in different age groups to see if we can get that blend right.”
Limerick play a Tipperary side that also suffered a big defeat to Kerry in their opening game. The clash in Templetuohy on has a 2pm throw-in.
The Limerick panel for the game is as follows:
LIMERICK: Jeffrey Alfred (Adare); Jim Liston (Gerald Griffins), Sean O’Dea (Kilteely-Dromkeen), Colm McSweeney (Gerald Griffins); Bob Childs (Galtee Gaels), Iain Corbett (Newcastle West), Paul Maher (Adare); Tommie Childs (Galtee Gaels), Tommy Griffin (Gerald Griffins); Andrew Meade (Rathkeale), James Naughton (St Senan’s), Barry Coleman (Rathkeale); Peter Nash (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Cillian Fahy (Drom-Broadford), Eoin Hurley (Newcastle West).
SUBS: Kevin Walsh (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Ruadhan O’Connor (Newcastle West), Tony McCarthy (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Michael Cremin (Newcastle West), Shane Doherty (Adare), Darragh O’Hagan (Mungret St Paul’s), Diarmuid Kelly (Newcastle West), Shane Costello (Adare), Jamie Baynham (Monagea), Daniel Daly (Monaleen), Cormac Woulfe (St Senan’s).