The Qualifier Phase Two game will take place in Wexford Park.
Limerick County Board have made a request for an early start in the south-east.
“We have asked for the game to start at 5pm to allow for our travelling support,” confirmed Limerick GAA Secretary Mike O’Riordan.
Win or lose, Limerick will also be in action on Saturdaym July 18.
If Limerick can overcome the Model County they will face either Cork, Offaly, Laois or Antrim for a place in the All-Ireland quarter-final against one of the beaten provincial finalists. If Limerick fail in Wexford, a relegation play-off would await against Cork, Offaly, Laois or Antrim.
Limerick were to return to training this Thursday evening.
No injuries have been reported since the weekend. Ahead of the trip to Wexford, management will be hoping that Gavin O’Mahony, Bryan O’Sullivan and Mike Fitzgerald will be available for selection.
Limerick selector Liam Garvey is confident that his side can bounce back after Saturday’s eight-point replay loss to Waterford in Thurles.
“This Limerick team will bounce back - there are some very good hurlers in this Limerick team and they will bounce back,” said Garvey.
While the Hospital-Herbertstown man is confident, Limerick’s record through the backdoor is not encouraging. Since Limerick lost to Wexford in the 2001 All-Ireland quarter-final, they have only beaten Offaly (2006), Dublin, Laois, Antrim and Kerry in the qualifiers, while losses were inflicted by Offaly (twice), Clare, Galway, Cork and Tipperary.
“It’s a re-building process everything you loose. There was a lot learned and a few things that we can pick up on and improve on,” accepted Garvey.
Limerick and Wexford have met on five occasions in championship hurling - Limerick’s only win was in the All-Ireland final of 1918.
Wexford defeated Limerick in the All-Ireland finals of 1910 and 1996, the semi-final in 1955 and most recently the quarter-final of 2001.
While Limerick fell to The Decies on Saturday evening, Wexford were shocked 0-18 to 1-13 by Dublin last Sunday in Nowlan Park.
“It was a disappointing finish to the match - we were in the match with about 10 minutes to go,” recalled Liam Garvey of Limerick’s defeat in Thurles.
“The breaks didn’t go our way and they took some very good scores while we found it hard to score in the last 10 minutes.
“When we were playing with the wind, Waterford played very deep and crowded it and there wasn’t much space and we just didn’t seem to get onto the ball.
“They are a very experienced team, they have won three Munster championships and are together a long time and they were very composed on the ball and were able to release people into shooting positions.”
Liam Garvey said that the management will look to the positive ahead of the qualifiers.
“We are still in a transition phase and trying to change the team around a small bit and play a bit differently,” commented the selector.
“Today we didn’t get the scores when it mattered. The wind was probably worth four or five points today and you needed to be ahead at half time and we were two points down but fair play to the team they battled very hard in the second half and we were still in the game with 8-10 minutes to go.”
Ahane v Bruree
The Round One replay in the Limerick’s Live 95FM sponsored county senior hurling championship between Ahane and Bruree will take place this Friday night in Bruff at 7.30pm - the winners will advance to play champions Adare while the losing side will face Murroe-Boher in the losers section.
It appears that the full round of fixtures in round two will not take place until the weekend of July 24-26, at the earliest.
Four weeks ago in the drawn game in Hospital it finished 1-9 to 0-12. Ahane managed just one point from play with Niall Moran hitting 1-8 from placed balls for Mike Fitzgerald’s side.
John Touhy saw five of his six forwards find the target in a side that had Steve McDonogh at centre back.
Jerome O’Connell
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