Nicky English: beating Kilkenny a major step forward for Limerick

Limerick's victory over Kilkenny completely eclipsed the other All Ireland quarter-final between Clare and Wexford as a game of hurling. There was no comparison in quality and intensity never mind the excitement of the final throes of the match in Thurles.

In a match that was unpredictable all the way through, it finished along predictable lines as Limerick, as they had done in the Galway, Clare and Tipperary league matches this season revealed character in adversity. They fought to the final whistle and clawed their way past the Cats, for whom Richie Hogan's second-half goal could have proved a pivotal moment.

That scenario didn't pan out because Limerick threw off the shackles of their game plan, playing with a spontaneity and freedom that allowed them to flourish in that end game, triggered by points from Tom Morrissey and Peter Casey. Those were huge scores in the context of the outcome and seemed to infuse the team with an irresistible belief and momentum.

This match was a huge psychological hurdle for Limerick to jump. Many of their younger players would have been conditioned to watching Kilkenny win at senior level. In Thurles Limerick took a significant step forward for this panel of players, irrespective of what happens in the remainder of the All-Ireland championship.

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Limerick manager John Kiely has assembled an excellent group of players with the ideal age profile to remain contenders for silverware over several seasons going forward.

Even unheralded players like Seán Finn, Darragh O’Donovan and the Morrissey brothers have emerged from the shadows of more established names and proved that they are well capable of playing at this level.

The victory wasn’t perfect; they overcomplicated the game at times particularly at the start of the both halves, were rigid in structure, looking for short passes when long deliveries would have yielded a far more lucrative dividend.

The value of this latest victory and the manner in which they achieved it, without any goals, should add considerable value to their challenge when they oppose Cork in the semi-final

They didn't capitalise on a series of goal chances. Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy stood brilliantly defiant in making a series of outstanding saves but a couple perished for Limerick because of a poor first touch. A couple of those saves were from Aaron Gillane, who left his hurley behind him on four or five occasions, reminding me of my formative years when I was inclined to do the same, and invariably when you needed it most.

Kilkenny, for whom Richie Hogan was excellent for the most part, will reflect on a ridiculous number of wides and no one escaped the malaise; even otherwise standout players like Hogan, James Maher and TJ Reid were guilty at a time when Limerick began to look vulnerable as the Cats loomed ever larger in the rear-view mirror.

Great contest

By not reaching the Munster final, Limerick were on an even keel emotionally. Instead they have harnessed their experiences in league and championship and employed it as a positive learning-curve.

The value of this latest victory and the manner in which they achieved it, without any goals, should add considerable value to their challenge when they oppose Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final in a couple of weeks. It promises to be a great contest and one for which Limerick appear primed.

The other quarter-final was an altogether different affair. Clare and Wexford attracted a small crowd to Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the pre-match misgivings of those that stayed away proved prophetic. As a contest it was mediocre at its pinnacle. Clare, without firing on all cylinders, won comfortably in the end.

Conor McDonald’s goal should have generated the momentum for a pulsating revival and even though it inspired Wexford to close the deficit to three points, the affliction of some horrendous long-range shooting was an impediment too far. Clare continued to tack on a point here and there to keep their opponents at arm’s length, before finishing with four in succession to win easily enough.

Tony Kelly was more centrally involved than recent matches, Shane O'Donnell offered a better representation of his quality, Podge Collins chipped in too, while even though John Conlon – he was involved in a mighty tussle with Liam Ryan, assisted at times by the Wexford sweeper Shaun Murphy – missed as many chances as he scored but they all did enough to see Clare home.

Clare are back in Croke Park, a journey that's taken longer than many might have expected when they won the All-Ireland in 2013

It was obvious from an early stage that Wexford were in trouble. The surprise element of the sweeper system that Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald introduced in 2017 has long since evaporated as have the energy levels to man it. Might it have been more advantageous to surprise Clare with a different formation?

This was a flat performance. As the seasons have progressed the fizz has tended to go out of Davy’s Wexford and that was very much in evidence here.

Wexford are a pale imitation of the 2017 vintage, individually for the most part, and collectively. Lee Chin, who provided that monstrous performance against Kilkenny in Wexford Park last year, was anonymous, particularly in the first half and the same could be said of many others.

There was a lack of clarity to what Wexford tried, they seemed muddled tactically – an example of which could be found in Mark Fanning’s puck outs particularly in the first half, landing in areas where Clare dominated numerically and physically. Much of what Wexford tried didn’t make sense.

There will be plenty of soul searching done in the aftermath. It’s not simply a levelling off but an appreciable decline in standard from 2017.

Clare are back in Croke Park, a journey that’s taken longer than many might have expected when they won the All-Ireland in 2013. The doubts in the wake of their Munster final defeat have still not been assuaged by Saturday’s performance. It will require a massive improvement to compete with the All-Ireland champions, Galway, in a fortnight’s time.

Limerick provided the most compelling story of the weekend.