O'Sullivan happy with Limerick's progress

MUNSTER SFC FINAL: GAVIN CUMMISKEYtalks to Limerick's manager who expects his team to rise to the challenge of taking on the All-Ireland champions in Killarney

THIS MAY sound strange considering the preceding few months but all is well on the Limerick front. The footballers, that is, not the hurlers.

The fear for Mickey Ned O’Sullivan’s team returning to a Munster final this Sunday, against Kerry after almost catching Cork last year, is they will arrive in Killarney undercooked.

All they have to show for a championship summer is an eight-point victory over Waterford in Dungarvan on June 6th. There have been challenge matches against Clare, Tipperary and most recently Westmeath but this pales in comparison to Kerry’s decent run out against Tipperary followed by two tough games with Cork.

There is a small advantage for Limerick in that they profited from the trouble in the county hurling panel as 24 men were either dismissed, or departed in solidarity, after a hugely damaging row that pitted the hurlers against the collective resistance of the county board, manager Justin McCarthy and the clubs.

Four of these hurlers are still lining out at intercounty level as Mickey Ned explained.

“We have Stephen Lucey, James Ryan, Mark Riordan and Conor Fitzgerald. We had no problem last year with Justin. He co-operated with us and I co-operated with him but the lads made it clear that hurling was their priority. They came to us maybe once a week but there isn’t an awful lot you can do once a week.

“We had to make sure the players didn’t get burned out. This year it is some good that they are playing only football.”

O’Sullivan’s description of Limerick football’s general mood is in stark contrast to the disruptive mess that is the unresolved hurling dispute.

“There is great character and a great unity of purpose. They are a happy group. Morale is good. We work well. We have a good management structure and the county board have given us every bit of help. We have everything we need. We are pleased with progress.”

Of course, Mickey Ned is a legendary Kerry footballer from the previous golden era. He provides a typically shrewd Kerry response to how matters are currently poised.

“Well, it is a very low-key game, you know. It’s a foregone conclusion by most in your own profession.”

So, you don’t have a chance?

“That’s right.”

You can picture his smiling eyes but he does paint a picture of hopelessness before simplifying matters and, in turn, providing a flicker of optimism.

“Kerry have a major advantage. They have had three good championship games at a much higher pace than they have in previous years. They are on their own patch, they are All-Ireland champions and one of the best teams in the history of the game. They have a lot going for them.

“Ah, there is no problem. Footballers are footballers. They go from week to week. On Monday or Tuesday (after a loss) they are down but they bounce back. They are competitive by nature.”

And that’s what they intend to be against Kerry. O’Sullivan selected a team from his full panel last night, while Kerry manager Jack O’Connor’s only absentee is the suspended Paul Galvin. Kerry have also been strengthened by the return of Aidan O’Mahony.

On the topic of peaking for Cork and then maintaining this form, O’Connor stated: “The team has been around a few years and mentally you just can’t always go the backdoor. The qualifiers proved very difficult last year. I just felt mentally we didn’t want to go down that road this year again.”

Kerry have perfected the knack of raising their game at crucial junctures, unlike, other obvious teams that showed well in Division One of the National League.

“If you put a lot of emphasis on the league and train very hard, somewhere along the line, you’re going to have a plateau.

“Unfortunately the likes of Mayo and maybe Dublin plateaued at the wrong time. We certainly had it last year after the league. I don’t know was it mental or physical. The championship is all about timing.”

This Sunday is not supposed to be a peak for Kerry.

That gives Limerick hope.