Mullane loses his fight for fitness

LIMERICK full-back Conor Mullane has lost his fight for fitness ahead of Sunday’s Munster senior football championship semi-final against Waterford.


The St. Senan’s man suffered a hamstring strain in training last week and last night failed a fitness test.
The absence of Conor Mullane is one of four changes from the Limerick team which won the National Football League Division Four title in Croke Park last April.
Three of the changes come in defence, with Stephen Lavin and Stephen Lucey returning from injury to take their regular places in the half-back line.
Another returning from injury is Johnny McCarthy and he takes Conor Mullane’s place at full-back.
In attack, Newcastle West’s Stephen Kelly comes into the team in place of John Mullane, with Cormac Joyce-Power also losing out.
Padraig Browne was centre-back in the NFL final and the Fr. Casey’s man has been switche to wing-forward.
Goalkeeper Brian Scanlon will make his championship debut in Dungarvan in a game which starts at 2pm.
Limerick team versus Waterford: Brian Scanlon; Mark O’Riordan, Johnny McCarthy, Andrew Lane; Stephen Lavin, Stephen Lucey, Pa Ranahan; Jim O’Donovan, John Galvin; Padraig Browne, James Ryan, Seanie Buckley; Ger Collins, Ian Ryan, Stephen Kelly.

JEROME O’CONNELL

Monaghan United give Limerick FC the Blues

LIMERICK FC were unceremoniously dumped out of the EA Sports Cup at the quarter-final stage in Jackman Park on Tuesday night when they lost three-nil against an utterly dominant Monaghan Utd.


After a ponderous start to the game Monaghan created the first real goal-scoring opportunity in the 14th minute when Karl Bermingham created a shooting chance for Sean Brennan, but Limerick FC ‘keeper Dave Ryan made a stunning save.
Eight minutes later Aidan Collins flashed his shot over the Limerick bar and the Super Blues looked in real trouble. Limerick responded to the threat posed by the away side however. Pat Scully’s men soon gained a foothold in the game and in the 34th minute, following a brilliant move, Daryl Kavanagh looked to have played Stephen Hickey through on goal, but the Clare man was strangely flagged offside. Then, just as Limerick attempted to absorb that bizarre decision, Monaghan were presented with a 25-yard free kick following a foul on Cathal O’Connor which Philip Hughes curled home via Dave Ryan’s left-hand post.
Monaghan dominated after the break and scored a deserved, if controversial, goal in the 54th minute.
When Conor McMahon delivered a cross Sean Brennan looked completely, and utterly, offside, but the flag stayed down and a delighted Brennan stepped around Dave Ryan before rolling home Monaghan United’s second goal of the evening.
In the 64th minute Sean Brennan stung the hands of Dave Ryan with a snap shot and although Limerick FC manager Pat Scully introduced Robbie Kelleher, David McGrath and Peter Ballough to his side the Super Blues found themselves 3-0 down in the 73rd minute. This time a brilliant Monaghan counter-attack, led by Philip Hughes, culminated when Hughes sprayed the ball out to Sean Brennan on the left flank who expertly steered his shot wide of Dave Ryan and into the bottom right-hand corner of the Limerick goal.
Limerick FC will be back in cup action once more on Friday night when Tolka Rovers visit Jackman Park (7.45pm) in the third round of the FAI Ford Cup.
Although the Glasnevin-based Tolka Rovers are an amateur side and play in the Leinster Senior League they are expected to present Limerick FC with a stern test.
Before the mid-season break Limerick FC will be back in Airtricity League Division One action on Tuesday, June 8 when the Super Blues host Finn Harps at Jackman Park (kick-off 7.45pm) - after next Tuesday night’s encounter Limerick FC will not be back in competitive action until Friday, June 25 when they make the journey to Turner’s Cross to take on Cork City.
Limerick FC have already beaten Finn Harps this season. On Friday, March 26 the Super Blues traveled to Ballybofey in Donegal and won 3-0 thanks to goals from John Tierney, Stephen Hickey and Shane Tracy.
Limerick FC: Dave Ryan, Gavin Roche, Sean Kelly, Declan Cahill, Pat Purcell, Peter White, Daryl Kavanagh, Jeffrey Judge, Jason Hughes, Stephen Hickey, Thomas Lyons. Subs: Robbie Kelleher for Jason Hughes, David McGrath for Stephen Hickey, Peter Ballough for Thomas Lyons.
Monaghan United: Gabriel Sava, Conor McMahon, Anthony Costigan, Aidan Lynch, Brian Gartland, Dom Tierney, Cathal O’Connor, Aidan Collins, Karl Bermingham, Philip Hughes, Sean Brennan.
Referee: Padraig Sutton (Clare).

BRIAN MCDONNELL

Cronin craves a ‘huge’ night at Thomond Park

IRELAND hooker Sean Cronin says Friday night’s clash with the Barbarians at Thomond Park will be a ‘huge’ occasion for him if, as is widely expected, he receives game-time in the glamour MasterCard Trophy clash.
Limerick man Cronin, who has won two full international caps to date, has enjoyed a highly-successful season with Amlin Challenge Cup semi-finalists Connacht.
With Rory Best ruled out of Ireland’s four game end-of-season fixture programme which includes a tour to New Zealand and Australia, hooker Sean Cronin is likely to add to his haul of international appearances in the coming weeks.
The dynamic 24-year-old returns to Thomond Park this Friday night (7.45pm), a venue he is very familiar with from his playing days with Shannon and for a shorter period in the Munster Academy.
Speaking at Ireland’s team base at UL Sean Cronin said: “It (Friday) is going to be a huge night, the chance to play in front of a packed house at Thomond Park. I played a lot of my rugby there at under-age and with Shannon.
“If I am selected it will be a big night for me, for my family and everything that goes with it.
“If selected I have to try and put that to one side and prepare myself as best I can for the game.
“The training have been going extremely well. All of the guys have been pulling together really well. I think everyone involved in the squad is looking forward to these three or four games. It is all ahead of us now.
“It is going to be a tough three and a half weeks. There are a lot of guys going down here with a point to prove in terms of selection for the future. I don’t think they are going to be feeling any tiredness at the end of year.
“In terms of selection, I have to put my best foot forward and hopefully give them some headaches.”
Ireland’s starting XV to face the Barbarians this Friday night is due to be revealed at lunch-time today.
Former Ardscoil Ris star Cronin said he was happy with his move to Connacht 18 months ago where he has been able to get more regular first team action. But he is not ruling out the possibility of a return to his native Munster should the opportunity arise.
“It reached a stage where I had to sit down and weigh up my options, to be honest. Deccie (Kidney) was coaching Munster at the time and I had a good chat with him,” Sean Cronin said.
“We looked at what the best option for me would be. There was a lot of competition in Munster at the time. They were going extremely well, winning Heineken Cups and stuff.
“I had to be honest with myself.
“I am happy that I made the decision to go to Connacht. It has worked out reasonably well.
“Munster is close to my heart. I was in the academy here and I got a few caps with the senior squad.
“The fellows I was in the Munster Academy with here are pushing on into the senior squad, the likes of Tommy O’Donnell, Dave Ryan, Duncan Williams and Billy Holland.
“Obviously from seeing them play on TV down here and at Thomond Park, it is both good to watch and hard to watch. I would never say never about coming back here anyway.”
Two Munster players have been included in the Barbarians side to face the Ireland XV in Friday night’s game.
Paul Warwick will line out at full-back while flanker Alan Quinlan will team up with Wallaby legend George Smith and Cardiff Blues number eight Xavier Rush in a powerful looking back-row. Kiwi Xavier Rush will also captain the side.
Paul warwick (Munster); Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Casey Laulala (Cardiff Blues), Seru Rabeni (Leeds Carnegie), David Smith (Hurricanes); Brock James (Clermont Auvergne), Pierre Mignoni (Toulon); David Barnes (Bath Rugby), Schalk Brits (Saracens); Census Johnston (Toulouse); Jerome Thion (Biarritz), Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster); Alan Quinlan (Munster), George Smith (Brumbies), Xavier Rush (Cardiff Blues) (Capt).
Replacements: Julian White (Leicester), Benoit August (Biarritz), Rodney So’oialo (Hurricanes), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Byron Kelleher (Toulouse), Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde (Toulouse), Paul Sackey (Wasps), Fabrice Estebanez (Brive).

COLM KINSELLA