Match Thread - Limerick v Clare All Ireland Hurling Semi Final

onefourreal

hopefully clare will come out and attack,look what happened dublin when they sat back and defended.

Thinkstoomuch

slegs wrote: »

"They even have a song"

Oh yeah, all 120,000 Limerick people got together and wrote a song because we are so over confident about winning the all Ireland. Tempting fate my arse. A few lads put out a song and we are all to be tarred with it. Will you get a life, I've been reading your waffle on here for months but this beats all.

Expectation comes with winning Munster and any Munster winning team has it. Limerick are no different. It doesnt make us over confident. We have had our ass handed to us so many times that we are incapable of being overconfident.

There is only one thing i expect and that is that as usual this Limerick team will give 100%. As long as I have been following Limerick we never lie down and we never lack in passion.

This year we have developed a system with some very good players that is working for us in 2 very tough games leading to a Munster title. Allen has earned the right to keep with this system and I'll take his educated and proven view of the world over your waffle any day. Everyone including Allen knows Dowling is a better scoring forward than Breen or Ryan or Hickey but they are picked to do a job and if you had been paying attention in 2012 you would have noticed that Dowling only had the fitness for 1 good half of hurling. I give Allen credit for figuring out how to use Dowling best and how to play without him.

I believe in Allen's plan. And even if its not working I think he has a plan B. He is a smart enough man to have learned from both his time with Cork and his recent games with Limerick.

If we lose on Sunday it wont be because of any auld sh1te that has gone on between fans before the the game or songs or comments on Boards.ie. it will be because Clare were the better side. If that happens then I would think that vast vast majority of Limerick folk will take it on the chin, shake hands with the Clare folk and be rooting for Clare in the final.


Limerick to win by 3-5 points scoring at least 3 goals.

Waffle you said with my post..yeah sure thing their from the lad that says,a limerick team that just scored one goal so far,will get at least three goals in the game and win pulling hope.You must have your place booked in the burlington already.Fair play lad!!

premierstone

Thinkstoomuch in John Allen criticism shocker :eek:

Mountainlad

onefourreal wrote: »

hopefully clare will come out and attack,look what happened dublin when they sat back and defended.

They won Leinster. Then they decided to go man to man with Cork resulting in them losing.

I would love to see Clare and Limerick go at each other but realistically that isn't going to happen. Davy won't change his teams strategy even if he makes one or two tweaks for the game.

Still wouldn;t have a lot of faith in him, think this year has proved very kind to him. But Limerick's plan isn;t going to work forever. The day they hit a few wides and concede a goal or two they'll be beaten. One thing that has impressed me no end about Clare is the pressure they are putting on teams the last few games. They have some top forwards as well, and far greater scoring potential.

Limerick did come behind against a frail Tipp team at home, but I wouldn't fancy them having to do it again no matter how good their bench is.

Thinkstoomuch

Mountainlad wrote: »

They won Leinster. Then they decided to go man to man with Cork resulting in them losing.

I would love to see Clare and Limerick go at each other but realistically that isn't going to happen. Davy won't change his teams strategy even if he makes one or two tweaks for the game.

Still wouldn;t have a lot of faith in him, think this year has proved very kind to him. But Limerick's plan isn;t going to work forever. The day they hit a few wides and concede a goal or two they'll be beaten. One thing that has impressed me no end about Clare is the pressure they are putting on teams the last few games. They have some top forwards as well, and far greater scoring potential.

Limerick did come behind against a frail Tipp team at home, but I wouldn't fancy them having to do it again no matter how good their bench is.

I'd agree,Limerick are too predictable,and they shoudnt be as they have some fantastic players.

onefourreal

Mountainlad, they were man on man in first half vs. cork then in second half sat back and defended.

slegs

Thinkstoomuch wrote: »

Waffle you said with my post..yeah sure thing their from the lad that says,a limerick team that just scored one goal so far,will get at least three goals in the game and win pulling hope.You must have your place booked in the burlington already.Fair play lad!!

I am willing to put my neck on the block and predict what I think will happen. If I'm wrong so be it. I think Croke Park will suit Limerick's style not the reverse. Limerick are trying to make space for Tobin and Mulcahy in just the same way that Clare are trying to do for Honan and McGrath. Limerick can take long points and can run at the Clare defence.

Clare are very strong too with young fast good ball players. I would be very worried about them getting a run of scores up on us but they have also looked average against Cork, Wexford and even at times against Galway. So I think we have every right to think we should be beating them.

You haven't been correct once yet about Limerick and most of your analysis on Limerick and Allen has been shown up as waffle. You just keep wheeling out non committal statements like "remains to be seen" and "not convinced" and "all will be revealed" etc. You obviously have a bit of chip on your shoulder about Limerick.

Probably not over the Munster final whipping ye took just yet. This is repeatedly reflected in your revisionism around the Horgan sending off to the point where you have yourself convinced that it was worth 9 points.

Rightwing

For all the criticisms of us, we are still the only unbeaten team left in the championship.

Fireball07

I agree with slegs about the song... I mean I haven't heard the song, most "GAA songs" are a pile of shíte anyway. I've heard people giving out about it, but who really cares? It's not a unified group of Limerick people making a song... it's a single, small group of people trying to cash in on the success of the Limerick hurlers. It's not an All-Ireland song... it is just a song about Limerick hurling. If Limerick lose against Clare, that's their market for the song pretty much gone already. (If they had been a bit smarter, they'd have releaesd it around the Munster final).



Anyway, as for the game, confidence-wise..... we have to be reasonably confident. Everyone I know has these little nerves, things could go wrong on the day. But we are the Munster champions...we have a good team, a good manager, and we're playing Clare, a team who would hardly strike fear into the hearts of you.

Looking at their results purely... they had a decent win against Waterford, although the scoreline perhaps flattered them slightly. They were beaten well by Cork, missing crucial goal chances. They beat Laois. They hammered Wexford in extra-time but drew with them in normal time. And they beat a poor Galway side by 6 points. Limerick would have to feel that they would have bettered most of those results, I mean, they did against Cork.



Goals are the big worry for both sides... Clare found it hard to get goals during the league and early on in the Championship but people are saying the space of Croke Park will suit Conor McGrath in particular. I do think the "space of Croke Park" thing is well overstated and I'm pretty sure it's smaller than Thurles where we beat them last year.

Limerick have only scored 1 goal this year, and didn't get many in the league..... but if there is more space inside, then Mulcahy and Tobin, along with Hannon and Breen driving at goal may be able to exploit it, not to much Downes/Moran/Dowling from the bench. Do Clare have more goalscoring potential than Limerick? Honestly, I think not.

Mountainlad

onefourreal wrote: »

Mountainlad, they were man on man in first half vs. cork then in second half sat back and defended.

I know, and I felt myself that they were actually on the front foot when O'Dwyer was sent off as Liam Rushe eluded too last night. I felt when they went man to man Cork were finding scores far too easy to come by.

I know people have indicated they feel that they should have pushed a man forward instead of playing with only four forwards when O'Dwyer was sent off, but that's different to suggesting that going man to man when 15 v 15 was the right course of action.

premierstone

onefourreal wrote: »

Mountainlad, they were man on man in first half vs. cork then in second half sat back and defended.

They did and were a point down at half time, they were still in the game and if anything were beginning to take control when Brains got sent off, aI certainly wouldn't blame any tactics or formation for the loss, not a fan but I actually thought Daly got it fairly sport on - the only error I thought he made was leaving a struggling frre taker who was contributing nothing from play on the frees and on the field at all -so in summary it was the two Tipp men who let them down - Sorry Dublin

Mountainlad

premierstone wrote: »

They did and were a point down at half time, they were still in the game and if anything were beginning to take control when Brains got sent off, aI certainly wouldn't blame any tactics or formation for the loss, not a fan but I actually thought Daly got it fairly sport on - the only error I thought he made was leaving a struggling frre taker who was contributing nothing from play on the frees and on the field at all -so in summary it was the two Tipp men who let them down - Sorry Dublin

Is Paul Ryan from Tipp as well?

premierstone

Mountainlad wrote: »

Is Paul Ryan from Tipp as well?

He was born in Dublin to a Tipp father, but we're claiming him He is a brother of Shane of football fame, but who was in he's own right a wonderfull hurler, a serious serious centre back who both Nicky English and Liam Sheedy personally told me would walk onto any intercounty team if he had concentrated on hurling.

They are grandsons of Seamus O'Riain, former president of the GAA from Moneygall GAA club, the Senior B hurling competition in Tipp is named iin he's honour.

Thinkstoomuch

slegs wrote: »

I am willing to put my neck on the block and predict what I think will happen. If I'm wrong so be it. I think Croke Park will suit Limerick's style not the reverse. Limerick are trying to make space for Tobin and Mulcahy in just the same way that Clare are trying to do for Honan and McGrath. Limerick can take long points and can run at the Clare defence.

Clare are very strong too with young fast good ball players. I would be very worried about them getting a run of scores up on us but they have also looked average against Cork, Wexford and even at times against Galway. So I think we have every right to think we should be beating them.

You haven't been correct once yet about Limerick and most of your analysis on Limerick and Allen has been shown up as waffle. You just keep wheeling out non committal statements like "remains to be seen" and "not convinced" and "all will be revealed" etc. You obviously have a bit of chip on your shoulder about Limerick.

Probably not over the Munster final whipping ye took just yet. This is repeatedly reflected in your revisionism around the Horgan sending off to the point where you have yourself convinced that it was worth 9 points.

Just like you,id giving my opinion,and sticking my neck on the line.So just cause I don't agree with you,and state my concerns about allen ,i have a chip on my shoulder about limerick.

You seem to think Limerick will do a Brazil on Clare,and walk in goals.Based on what exactly.

You clearly see what you only want to see.I have said many time ,i want limerick to win,against clare and to win an all ireland.Its long overdue.

I havent like some posters said ye threw away all irelands in terms of bottle etc.I said before i felt ye should have beaten wexford in 96, but left yere best forward,mike galligan on the bench.

I dont want limerick to suffer the same fate,sunday,loose and wonder what may have been,if two superb talents in downes and dowling had started.

Lehane,proved how good he was,and JBM, kept faith in him,and started him last week.Dowling is just as good as lehane,but cant do much with twenty mins to go.


Downes,I would love to have with Cork the same.My concerns,some in fairness have even posted ,that limericks use of the bench wont always win games.You choose to ignore that,but attack my post.

Yes i have said I'm unconvinced about allen and it remains to be seen.I am of the view,bigger tests await.And if Allen wins the all ireland,i will admit i was wrong.

But he hasnt of yet.People ,including myself doubted Cork this year as to what we could achieve.Time told us otherwise.

So just cause i doubt Limerick,its waffle etc.

At the start of the year Limerick werent mentioned by anyone to even win Munster.One poster here dismissed tipp as poor,and not to read too much in to yere win.

I give limerick credit for that win,and said the munster final,be a test of two games back to back.

Dream away,but Cork werent whipped by limerick.And i never said ,Cork were nine points better.

What is clear,is the sending off had a huge impact on the game,and noboddy knows how it could have turned out.Rush made the point,that it was impossible for dublin,with no lead buit up ,to beat cork with a man down for twenty people.

The people who jump to defend that scenario,then seem admant,cork away from home,down a man in blistering heat,could beat limerick.

Limerick,if ye whipped us as you say,why didnt ye do that in the second half,but had to wait for the last ten minutes,to beat Cork,when we ran out of steam.

Without an all star defender in murphy,our leading scorer in horgan for 35 minutes,yeah that some limerick team ,that coudnt put us away for a hour.

Jbm said it,it was impossible in that heat that day for cork to win.

So ,and i said on the cork thread i woudnt be too harsh on Cork,as we were down a man,and said players done as well as they could.I thought KK would beat us but didnt.We have improved in every game.

Limerick,were impressive against tipp,not in the first half against us or the first 60 minutes with the extra man.That is why and even most people i talk to ,even limerick fans,have said there is still questions marks with them.

A lot of people are concerned by the team he named,and how long he will wait to make changes.Clare have a bench too.

If limerick dont win and subs are introduced fast enough,don't kid yourself questions will be asked of the management.

Tom ryan,one of yere brains trust,im sure questioned JBM, after the league and said Cork were going no where under him and said he wasnt the right man.A man that built he's own teams to win minor and senior all irelands with cork from scrath.

What you think will happen if ye loose sunday .Im not sitting on the fence like many,Im saying my concerns now.

And lets be clear,crystal clear,I want ye to win Sunday.

premierstone

Mike Galligan was a better hurler that Gary Kirby.........fcuk me I want some of what ever your smoking boy

Rightwing

premierstone wrote: »

Mike Galligan was a better hurler that Gary Kirby.........fcuk me I want some of what ever your smoking boy

the only think i can assume is mike galligan would have been better than kirby in that final in '96,,,,,because kirby got his finger broken are a few mins. Apart from that,,the players simply weren't in the same league.

Thinkstoomuch

premierstone wrote: »

Mike Galligan was a better hurler that Gary Kirby.........fcuk me I want some of what ever your smoking boy

I never said that.I meant one of the best forwards.Take it of context ,like you do.
The guy that says Seamus Harnedy ,is only a work horse,yet nine points from play,in hes first season,more than timmy mac and niall mac in their first season.

Seamus harnedy isnt a hurler,i presume.I must be smoking the same as you.

Thinkstoomuch

Rightwing wrote: »

the only think i can assume is mike galligan would have been better than kirby in that final in '96,,,,,because kirby got his finger broken are a few mins. Apart from that,,the players simply weren't in the same league.

My point is galligan was one of limericks best forwards,not better than kirby,but should have started.

Rightwing

Thinkstoomuch wrote: »

My point is galligan was one of limericks best forwards,not better than kirby,but should have started.

Possibly should have been alright, but I was never a huge fan of his, good for a few points, had skill though.

Comparing that team to today's one.....it looks a lot stronger,,,foley at 12 was hit or miss,,, and tj ryan at 15 :mad:

1 J. Quaid
2 S. McDonagh
3 M. Nash
4 D. Nash
5 D. Clarke
6 C. Carey (c)
7 M. Foley
8 M. Houlihan
9 S. O'Neill
10 F. Carroll
11 G. Kirby
12 B. Foley
13 O. O'Neill
14 D. Quigley
15 T.J. Ryan

Fireball07

Rightwing wrote: »

Possibly should have been alright, but I was never a huge fan of his, good for a few points, had skill though.

Comparing that team to today's one.....it looks a lot stronger,,,foley at 12 was hit or miss,,, and tj ryan at 15 :mad:

1 J. Quaid
2 S. McDonagh
3 M. Nash
4 D. Nash
5 D. Clarke
6 C. Carey (c)
7 M. Foley
8 M. Houlihan
9 S. O'Neill
10 F. Carroll
11 G. Kirby
12 B. Foley
13 O. O'Neill
14 D. Quigley
15 T.J. Ryan

Honestly think the forward line now is better..... well at least when we bring on the subs. Kirby was obviously class, and Quigley and Ryan were livewires but as for the rest...decent, but not class.

Backline was very very strong though. Clarke/Carey/Foley is as good a half-back line as we've ever had.

premierstone

Thinkstoomuch wrote: »

I havent like some posters said ye threw away all irelands in terms of bottle etc.I said before i felt ye should have beaten wexford in 96, but left yere best forward,mike galligan on the bench.

Thinkstoomuch wrote: »

I never said that.I meant one of the best forwards.Take it of context ,like you do.
The guy that says Seamus Harnedy ,is only a work horse,yet nine points from play,in hes first season,more than timmy mac and niall mac in their first season.

Seamus harnedy isnt a hurler,i presume.I must be smoking the same as you.

Now I haven't taken anything out of context you quite clearly said Galligan was the best forward Limerick had in 1996, a cliam the mans own mother wouldn't even make, one thing worse that a bluffer is a liar.

And can you quote me where I said Harnedy wasn't a hurler please, I said he often lacks a bit of composure in front of goals and he's decision making can be questionable, both of which I stand over 100 % - also the discussion on Harnedy was in relation to the allstars, the fact it is he's first year is completley irrelelevant.

Rightwing

Fireball07 wrote: »

Honestly think the forward line now is better..... well at least when we bring on the subs. Kirby was obviously class, and Quigley and Ryan were livewires but as for the rest...decent, but not class.

Backline was very very strong though. Clarke/Carey/Foley is as good a half-back line as we've ever had.

I agree, very strong midfield in that team as well, and mcdonagh was some hurler. Leads me to wonder is hurling stronger today.

PTH2009

Clare to win for me

They have a lot more hurling done this year. Played 5 matches this year

Limerick played 2 games this year and both of them were at home.

Limerick will give it everything but i think Clare will come out on top

Clare by 4 points

Thinkstoomuch

premierstone wrote: »

Now I haven't taken anything out of context you quite clearly said Galligan was the best forward Limerick had in 1996, a cliam the mans own mother wouldn't even make, one thing worse that a bluffer is a liar.

And can you quote me where I said Harnedy wasn't a hurler please, I said he often lacks a bit of composure in front of goals and he's decision making can be questionable, both of which I stand over 100 % - also the discussion on Harnedy was in relation to the allstars, the fact it is he's first year is completley irrelelevant.

I meant one of their best forwards,a typo error,a mistake.You said harnedy was more or less a work horse.And he was overhyped.My point is,in just four starts ,hes been excellent.

Nine points from play,before you say,lies,lies, that is fact not fiction.Plenty to work on ,and raw,but much better than a workhorse,that is just NOT in the headlines over what Sean Og said.

To say that is otherwise ,as you in your our words is lie,lies,just lies.Sound familar.

With the greatest respect in the world,what you call me is water of a ducks back.
I have no intention of engaging with you,the only reason i did,when you were trying to say,that Galligan was better than kirby in my own words.I never mentioned Kirby.

Vanhalla

PTH2009 wrote: »

Clare to win for me

They have a lot more hurling done this year. Played 5 matches this year

Limerick played 2 games this year and both of them were at home.

Limerick will give it everything but i think Clare will come out on top

Clare by 4 points

its quite shocking really how this championship is structured. limerick play 2 games and clare play 5.
it is such an arse about face competition. when will those idiots in the gaa come up with a champions league style format. no other top competition in any sport would have somthing like this.
but anyway, clare to win by 4

slegs

Vanhalla wrote: »

its quite shocking really how this championship is structured. limerick play 2 games and clare play 5.
it is such an arse about face competition. when will those idiots in the gaa come up with a champions league style format. no other top competition in any sport would have somthing like this.
but anyway, clare to win by 4

Its straightforward. Clare play 5 because they were beaten in the first match. Long route as punishment. Stands to you in long run if you come through though.

You are rewarded for not losing with the short route to semi. You have to manage the long break but its been done many times so not sure about all the attention this gets.

System is as fair as it can be with having to maintain the Munster and Leinster championships as they stand with back door system.

Personally I would prefer an Champions League style All Ireland competition with Munster Championship run independently in advance of All Ireland series. Winners of Munster and Leinster get seeding 1 in two groups, Finalists seeding 2 etc. Dump Waterford Crystal type tournaments and run league off between Feb and April. It will never happen though

Vanhalla

slegs wrote: »

Its straightforward. Clare play 5 because they were beaten in the first match. Long route as punishment. Stands to you in long run if you come through though.

You are rewarded for not losing with the short route to semi. You have to manage the long break but its been done many times so not sure about all the attention this gets.

System is as fair as it can be with having to maintain the Munster and Leinster championships as they stand with back door system.

Personally I would prefer an Champions League style All Ireland competition with Munster Championship run independently in advance of All Ireland series. Winners of Munster and Leinster get seeding 1 in two groups, Finalists seeding 2 etc. Dump Waterford Crystal type tournaments and run league off between Feb and April. It will never happen though

No no no. yes the only province worth a piss is munster but we need to forget about tradition and adopt a new structure that is fair to all teams. and in 50 yrs time this new competion will be tradition!

billyhead

Think Limerick will sneak this. The stronger bench will make all the difference in the end. Niall Moran is a class act and should be a starter in my opinion. Feel theirs a big game in the likes of Mulcahy and Hannon. Love to see Limerick win the AI this year. I am a passionate Dubs fan with strong Lmerick blood. Go on the Treaty.

Rightwing

Vanhalla wrote: »

No no no. yes the only province worth a piss is munster but we need to forget about tradition and adopt a new structure that is fair to all teams. and in 50 yrs time this new competion will be tradition!

No,,,Leinster is tough now as well,,,,part of the reason we are seeing KK struggle.

adrian522

I cringe every time i hear about a "champions league type structure"

the Champions league being possibly the most boring competition known to mankind, especially the group stages. I mean who wants endless boring meaningless group games. Give me knockout hurling any day over that.

Limerick played less games as their reward for winning Munster, if Clare hadn't lost to cork they wouldn't have had to play those extra games.

For this I'm surprised how many are going for Clare. i fancy limerick to sneak it. I don't rate Davy's ability to change things around if things aren't going well and if Limerick hit the form they showed in Munster they should win, should be a great game either way.