O’Brien faces a race against time

MIKE O’Brien is in a race against time to be fit for Limerick’s Munster hurling championship semi-final against Waterford on June 14. The Glenroe centre-forward suffered two broken fingers while assisting his club last Sunday evening in their south intermediate hurling championship tie against Hospital-Herbertstown. The full extent of his injury is yet to be determined, but with just four weeks to the Semple Stadium semi-final O’Brien is rated as extremely doubtful.
Seamus Hickey is another that is receiving treatment - the Murroe-Boher man sustained a shoulder injury in Limerick’s challenge game against Antrim two weeks ago.
Kilmallock’s Bryan O’Sullivan is also on the injured list, with a hamstring injury curtaining his recent training.
Last Saturday night, Limerick travelled to Castletownroche to play Cork in a high scoring challenge game. The home county were 1-32 to 2-15 winners in a game which left Limerick supporters worried as to the form of their team ahead of the mid-June clash. Since the end of the league campaign, Justin McCarthy’s side have played Tipperary, Antrim and Cork in challenge games and are yet to taste victory. Limerick continue their preparations with training this week, but then players will be released back to their clubs for county championship action on the weekend of May 29/30/31.
In last weekend’s challenge game against Cork, Limerick played with the wind and were ahead 1-12 to 0-13, at half time.
However, the second half was not encouraging as Cork hit 1-19, with just 1-3 in reply from Limerick.

Cork: D Óg Cusack; S Murphy, E Cadogan, C O’Sullivan; K Hartnett, C McGann, J Jordan; J O’Connor 0-5, P Cronin 0-4; P O’Sullivan, N McCarthy 0-1, T McCarthy; P Horgan 0-7 (6frees), K Murphy (Sarsfield) 0-2, T Óg Murphy 0-3. Subs: R Ryan 0-2 for Hartnett, (5mins); M Coleman for Cusack, C Naughton 0-3 for T McCarthy, F O’Leary 1-1 for P O’Sullivan, B Corry for N McCarthy (all half time); K Murphy 0-3 for O’Connor, B Johnson 0-1 (sideline) for Cronin (both 57mins); D Crowley for Cadogan, Billy Murphy for S Murphy (both 63mins).

Limerick: B Murray; D Moloney, R McCarthy S Walsh; J Ryan, B Geary, G O’Mahony 0-1 (free); D O’Grady 0-2, W McNamara; O Moran 0-2, M O’Brien, N Moran 1-7 (1-6frees); A O’Shaughnessy 0-1, D Breen 1-0, D Ryan 0-2. Subs: M Foley for J Ryan (10mins); T Condon for O’Mahony, P Browne for McNamara (both half time); G Mulcahy for O’Brien (49mins); P Tobin for D Ryan (57mins).

Jerome O’Connell