‘I am expecting a big performance’

THE under-21 footballers are the first Limerick inter-county side in Munster Championship action when they face Clare this Friday night.
The provincial quarter-final takes place under lights in the west Clare venue of Cooraclare at 8.00pm.
Limerick’s efforts to book a semi-final meeting with Tipperary are backboned by 2008 Young Football of the Year nominee Ian Ryan and his Limerick senior colleague Ger Collins.
Another trio of senior panellists; John Mullane, Cormac Joyce Power and Bobby O’Brien will also have key roles to play.
Joyce Power and O’Brien, who only returned from Australia in recent weeks, were minors last season.
“It is really important for us that the senior lads play up to scratch. We need them to inspire the team. If two or three of them can inspire then we would be in with a good shout,” said Limerick manager Ollie Coffey.
The Ballylanders man is joined in the management by Pat Noonan of Gerald Griffins and Danny Browne of Monaleen.
“There is a big game in this team - I would be quietly confident that if we work hard we can get a result.”
Preparations commenced on January 3 and challenge games against Cork, Waterford, Carlow, LIT, UL and IT Tralee have helped the management to settle on Friday’s team.
However, everything has not gone according to plan.
Limerick enter the championship without three players who were available from the side that ran Kerry close last year. Full-back Michael McCormack is out with a broken leg, centre-back Eoin Joy is out with a shoulder injury and corner back Michael Dowling is out with a back injury.
“They are a major loss - they were big players last year and they would have been a year stronger for this year,” said Coffey.
Such is the defensive headaches, potential attackers Ger Collins and Derry McCarthy will play as wing-backs against Clare.
“Wouldn’t we love to have them as wing-forwards,” sighed Coffey.
With Kerry and Cork on the opposite side of the draw there is a Munster final place in the offering.
Only Limerick in 2000 and Waterford in 2003 have broken the Cork-Kerry stranglehold on this provincial championship since its inception in 1962.
That said, since the turn of the millennium, 2004 was the only year that it was a Cork v Kerry Munster under-21 football final pairing.
Limerick last reached the decider in 2005, with Waterford and Tipperary making final appearances in the following years. Clare last appeared in the final in 2002.
Under-21 clashes between Clare and Limerick have been rare of late - in 2006 The Banner came away from Kilmallock with a 1-10 to 1-7 victory.
On Friday night Clare, managed by senior selector and former county goalkeeper James Hanrahan, will include four seniors: Cratloe pair Sean Collins and Liam Markham, Dean Ryan and Gary Brennan.
“I am expecting a big performance and if we can get everything right on the night, we can get a result,” said Ollie Coffey.

Munster junior hurling final
Bruree’s re-fixed Munster Junior B hurling championship final replay takes this Sunday, March 15.
The final of the Killeedy organised tournament takes place in Raheenagh at 2.30pm after poor weather forced the postponement of last Sunday’s original fixture. It is now a month since Bruree required an equalising point deep into injury time to force this replay against Tipperary champions, Moyne-Templetouhy.
Bruree are attempting to become the first Limerick side to win lift the Michael Fitzmaurice Cup. This is the fifth year that the Killeedy GAA club have received the backing of Croke Park to stage what is now an official competition. Awaiting the winners of the Munster final are Galway’s Athenry in the All-Ireland final.

Under-21 football team: Brian Scanlon (Gerald Griffins); David Finnerty (St Senans), Eamon Gleeson (Cappamore), Michael Collins (Bruff); Derry McCarthy (Dromcollogher-Broadford), John Riordan (Fr Caseys), Ger Collins (Milford); Bobby O’Brien (Bruff), Cormac Joyce-Power (Ahane); John Mullane (St Patricks), Nigel Riordan (Fedamore), Chris Hayes (St Senans); Andrew O'Neill, captain (Bruff), Patrick Mullins (St Patricks), Ian Ryan (St Senans). Subs: Padraig Horan (Glin), Michael Quilligan (Newcastle West), Damien Quaid (St Marys Sean Finns), Edmund O’Donnell (Castletown-Ballyagran), Daniel Quirke (Oola), Seanie O'Connell (Fr Caseys), Gavin O’Shea (Croom), Sean McAuliffe (Newcastle West), Eoin Joy (Fr Caseys). Members of the extended panel; Michael Dowling (Newcastle West), Ian Bourke (Oola), Tim Scanlon (Glin), Noel Hayes (Croom) and Matthew O’Meara (Ballysteen).

Jerome O’Connell