Setanta Sports are to televise the round five game live as Justin McCarthy takes his Limerick hurlers to his native city. As is now the norm the Limerick team won’t be released until later this week. However there have been some changes to the extended squad which McCarthy, Brian Ryan and Liam Garvey have in training at present in Martinstown.
Leader Sport understands that Murroe-Boher’s Kevin Tobin and Kilmallock pair Paudi O’Brien and Eoin Ryan are no longer part of the plans while Garryspillane’s James Ryan is now officially part of the squad. Ollie Moran and Mike Fitzgerald are due to join up with the squad next week.
Tobin and O’Brien both saw action in league games to date with Tobin surprisingly tried in defence.
“The door remains open to everyone until the end of the league and then we will look at things in terms of the championship,” Justin McCarthy told Limerick Sport this Wednesday.
“We want to get a settled team and a settled squad and I think we are close to establishing that. Every player is given a chance and we keep about 30 at training with players coming in and out and we are casting the net a bit further all the time.”
McCarthy said that Sunday’s game will bring a new challenge.
“Cork will have a big home following because of recent events and that is something that we have to face - there could be 10,000 in Cork and the players need that; it will give them big game experience and some added pressure,” McCarthy added.
A win for Limerick on Sunday could propel them into contention for a league final place while defeat could have supporters looking over their shoulder at the league table in terms of relegation.
“The league is competitive for everyone and we have two wins and two losses and we could have had four wins - last weekend things just went away from us in Galway in the end. Naturally we would have liked to have won all four games, but we have to give players a chance while also trying to win games.
“It is a two-way thing.”
McCarthy added: “A lot of these players would not have tasted inter-county or league action before”.
After this weekend Limerick face a championship dress rehearsal on April 5 against Waterford in the Gaelic Grounds.
Before that McCarthy is looking forward to the change in time.
“I always think that there is a difference when the clocks change.
“We will be able to up our outdoor sessions. That said, I must say how pleased we have been with the facilities in Martinstown, with the pitch and the lights.”
Bryan O’Sullivan and Tom Condon were absent for the Galway game last weekend and could be back in contention for Limerick, who had Donncha Sheehan and Denis Moloney among the subs last Sunday for the first time.
Cork managed by interim boss John Considine will be without Niall McCarthy who was red carded in their win over Clare. The only ‘regulars’ absent from their line-up in Ennis were Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Brian Murphy, Sean Og O hAilpin, Jerry O’Connor and Joe Deane.
Jerome O’Connell
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