Limerick stick to winning side

GAA/HURLING:Limerick manager Richie Bennis and his selectors have given a vote of confidence to the team that defeated Waterford in the All-Ireland semi-final for Sunday's final against champions Kilkenny.

It's the county's first All-Ireland final since 1996 and Mark Foley, who earned the Young Hurler of the Year accolade 11 years ago, is the sole survivor of that defeat by Wexford to start this weekend - in the same position despite a decade of moving around the field. The panel's only other survivor, Barry Foley, is on the bench.

Limerick have lost their last four finals, spread over three decades (Wexford, Offaly '94, Galway 1980 and Kilkenny 1974) since the county's last success in 1973, also against Kilkenny. At underage fortunes have been better and most recently Limerick won three successive All-Irelands at under-21 level between 2000-02. Surprisingly there are only seven players from those three teams who start on Sunday: Damien Reale, Stephen Lucey, Peter Lawlor, Brian Geary, Seán O'Connor, Brian Begley and Andrew O'Shaughnessy.

Fittingly Reale captains the side, as he is the only player named to have started all three of the under-21 successes. He became captain on the nomination of Bruree when the club's representative, James O'Brien, didn't make the starting line-up for the championship although he did come on and make an impact as a replacement in the semi-final and is in line to be called on again this weekend.

In the first full year of the new management of Bennis the team has finally reached a senior final. Geary is one of the most experienced players on the panel, having made his senior debut as far back as 1999.

"It's a mixture of everything," he says about this season's radical improvement, "to do with fellas' attitudes, the different qualities of the selectors and Dave Moriarty who's a top-class trainer. Everything has come into shape nicely.

"Managers over the last few years were coming in and saying, 'what can I do to change a team that's been losing?' and doing different things. I suppose it has been hard because of the matches we have played. We haven't given managers much of a chance. The lads have come in though and do their own thing without paying too much attention to anyone else and it's worked for them."

Until this year it had been six seasons since Limerick had beaten top-line opposition in the championship although there had been a few victories over weaker teams in the qualifiers. "Now with no disrespect to the qualifiers," says Geary, "it's Munster championship matches and All-Ireland semi-finals that we want to win."

He says that the level of expectation created by the underage success hadn't been a major problem for the team although it did sharpen the sense of frustration.

"It did and it didn't. We weren't bothered by the expectations but we were disappointed not to have done better. The only thing in our head is to win the match. In three or four years when we look down the line, this will be an okay year. We have to really finish it off."

Weekend Fixtures

SATURDAY

All-Ireland MFC semi-final replay: Laois v Derry, Páirc Tailteann, Navan, 6.0 (Extra-time if necessary).

Kilmacud Crokes All-Ireland hurling sevens tournament.

SUNDAY

All-Ireland SHC final: Kilkenny v Limerick, Croke Park, Croke Park, 3.30, D Kirwan (Cork).

All-Ireland MHC final: Cork v Tipperary, Croke Park, 1.30, J Owens (Wexford).