Murphy’s minors aiming to topple Limerick

IF this campaign is to be six-time All-Ireland winning minor manager Mattie Murphy’s swansong, he will be leaving no stone unturned in toppling Munster champions Limerick when they clash in their keenly anticipated semi-final at Croke Park on Sunday (1:30pm).

No doubt, given the controversial circumstances of last year’s meeting at the same stage of the competition, tensions will be running high. On that occasion, Limerick had a point discredited in normal time by Hawkeye, which it transpired had applied the wrong graphic.

In any event, referee Fergal Horgan didn’t allow the Barry Nash score to stand, the match subsequently ended in a draw, before the Tribesmen accounted for the Shannonsiders on a 0-23 to 0-20 scoreline after extra-time.

For Limerick’s part, they will still be stirred by Galway’s refusal to grant them a replay in the tempest that ensued while Galway, on the other hand, will be motivated by Limerick taking their appeal right down to the wire, only ending it just five days before the All-Ireland decider.

The Tribesmen may also take exception to Limerick boss Brian Ryan’s remarks on TG4 that the GAA should look at why they had to play four games to reach an All-Ireland semi-final while Galway, he maintained, only had to beat Antrim.

The comments were not lost on Murphy. “Yeah, but what is his point? Our point all along is that we don’t mind going into an open draw scenario at all. We play what’s in front of us and we play when we are told to play and we play who we are told to play. “If he has all these games, then surely he has no need to worry about a Galway team that only played a Mickey Mouse match [in his eyes],” remarked Murphy.

Although he was equally unperturbed by Limerick using last Sunday’s senior tie at HQ to give their minor free-takers target practice in the warm-up, he did pull up his opposite number on another matter.

Full preview in this week’s City Tribune.