Progressing in right direction

Munster SF Championship: Ian O'Riordan talks to Limerick manager Mickey Ned O'Sullivan ahead of their game against Cork

Somewhere in the list of great championship upsets of recent years lies Limerick's win over Cork in the 2003 Munster football quarter-final. It wasn't just that Limerick beat the then Munster champions. They destroyed them - dominating the game throughout and ending up 10-point winners.

It was their first win over Cork since 1965, and reversed a series a heavy defeats throughout the 1990s. Cork, almost incredibly, were held to 0-6 that day, and it's said that Limerick didn't get all the credit they deserved because on the same day Monaghan beat Armagh, the then All-Ireland champions.

Limerick also proved that result was no fluke as they went on to contest the Munster final that year, and again in 2004 - when they really should have beaten Kerry. After that, however, their fortunes started to decline and Cork are fancied to progress when the sides meet again for the first time since 2003 in Sunday's Munster semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds.

Manager Mickey Ned O'Sullivan has been rebuilding a little after that Liam Kearns era, and while the 2003 victory is out of sight, it's not quite out of mind.

"Of course all that's history now," says O'Sullivan. "First of all we're missing eight of Limerick's championship team from last year, and even more from 2003.

"But in other ways it is still relevant. That victory certainly broke a psychological barrier, in that Limerick now believe Cork are beatable. They still respect Cork, but there's no fear there. They've done it before, and know if they're on their game they can do it again.

"Still, 2003 hasn't really been talked about at all. All these players are all focused on the present. They know that's all that will matter on Sunday."

Cork look a dangerous team this year. Their league campaign wasn't the most consistent but they survived nonetheless, and manager Billy Morgan always maintained the championship was all that mattered.

It's likely to be his last year of this latest term and as if to prove how seriously he is taking it, Morgan just last week brought Cork on a training trip to the La Manga resort in Spain, made famous in GAA circles as Armagh's base before their All-Ireland winning summer of 2002.

"There's no way we'll ever underestimate Cork," adds O'Sullivan. Hopefully they'll underestimate us. But it's not so much what we know about this Cork team, but what we don't know.

"We've seen them plenty of times over the last few years, and they've been growing in experience the whole time. They've a very strong panel, with great depth, and of course have some exceptional footballers.

"But this is the best possible yardstick for us. I've no doubt we've made enormous progress in recent months. We're fairly well set in terms on the players now. Muiris Gavin is available for selection, but probably won't play a full role. He still hasn't been able to train with this tiny tear in his calf muscle, but he is coming good again at last.

"But this is what it's all about, and what all the training has been geared towards. I suppose Cork were always in our sights, providing we overcome Clare. We've home territory for Sunday and we're really looking forward to it now."

Limerick quietly got themselves promoted from Division Two of the league, no easy feat the year after relegation, and their preparations for Sunday have been aided by the quarter-final win over Clare back on May 21st - when the heavy rain across the country ensured no victory could be guaranteed. Limerick only scored 2-5 to Clare's 0-8 but O'Sullivan is confident of significant improvement.

"Obviously our scoring was very low, but because of the conditions and the wind it turned out to be a very defensive game. We possibly could have got forward a little more, but those first championship matches can always be tricky.

"Having said that I thought our defence played exceptionally well. We never underestimated Clare, and I still feel they are a far better team than most people think.

"So I think we're progressed nicely over the last couple of weeks, and hopefully we'll go up another notch. Whether that's enough to win we'll have to wait and see."