“Magic Begins Hurling Championship with Illusionists”

The weather, reminiscent of a Game of Thrones scene, gave way to a bright Sunday, the first in the century, encouraging the hurlers to step onto the field. Truly magnificent. Where would you prefer we begin?

In Ennis, Limerick executed an escape act in a style akin to David Copperfield, or perhaps Wexford, where trailing five points nearing dead time, Dublin astonishingly managed to make a dead-heat finale. Maybe Waterford would pique your interest, wherein renowned illusionist of the game, Davy Fitzgerald, made jaws drop with his tried and tested trick; being discounted, revving up and then triumphing.

First-off, let’s visit Cusack Park. The All-Ireland victors, with merely a fourth of the match left, were lagging behind Clare by duplicate scores. Furthermore, amassing just nine points seemed like pulling teeth from Limerick’s resources.

The reversal was incroyable. Diarmuid Byrnes may have fluffed a free, which may have deviated off Aaron Gillane, who may have been in the box, preceding the ball’s final destination in Clare’s net. Subsequently, Limerick ripped Clare’s defence apart with Donncha O’Dalaigh’s unthreatening strike, which surprisingly ended up being a score.

The third goal from Limerick came during a six-minute frenzy; Gillane possibly being in the area again when Hegarty’s cross-shot, which pinged off the post, ended up comfortably with Gillane. Regardless, the scored goal was valid.

When all was said and done, Limerick had outwitted Clare by 3-6 to 0-3 in the last quarter, amounting to a 12-point scoreboard changeover that ranks third in John Kiely’s record – just under the 2021 Munster final (15 points) and the previous year’s All-Ireland final (14 points). What was the Limerick manager thinking? Was the match over in his mind?

Kiely stated, “Listen, trailing by nine at that stage, it seemed like all odds were firmly stacked against us. Yet, I also noticed that Clare weren’t surging forward like I’d thought- we were still generating plenty of scoring opportunities. What we lacked was the required momentum achieved when multiple scores are achieved consecutively. And then, our luck changed with three consecutive points and the momentum shifted entirely in our favour.”

Our players capitalised on the opportunity that presented itself once we scored the initial goal, which instilled within them the belief that victory was indeed attainable. A significant advantage was gained from the excellent performances of our substitutes, who played a crucial role in the final quarter of the game. Our team managed to turn around our usual trend of underperforming in the last quarter of games this season into a standout performance today, an achievement that is massively rewarding.

There’s a swift recovery needed for Clare as they’re scheduled to play against Cork next Sunday, who themselves will be nursing battle scars. Despite being the favourites at Walsh Park, Cork fell behind 1-4 to 0-1 to Waterford within just the first 11 minutes of the game. For the duration of the match, Cork were continuously playing catch up. They managed to gain the lead for a fleeting half-minute and only equalised with Waterford once at the beginning of the second half. Waterford’s supremacy was evident as they controlled the game and sealed victory with a goal.

Standout performances from a revitalised Jamie Barron, who contributed 1-3, and a back-in-action Calum Lyons, who pocketed three points from the wing back, magnified Waterford’s excellent game-play, their most impressive in nearly a year. This triumphant performance rekindled spirits after a lacklustre league season and rising local indifference raised fears of a sparse support at Walsh Park.

Fitzgerald acknowledged the inevitable criticisms and complaints, however, insisted that mid-constructions should be ignored in favour of focusing on their actions and performances. He expressed a feeling of unity with the Waterford fans who vocally supported the team and wished for such enthusiasm at every game. He highlighted the team’s vigorous work ethic showcased during the match.

In the sport of hurling, it’s a longstanding belief that no advantage is ever secure. Infamously, Wexford squandered a whopping 16-point lead over Westmeath in last year’s tournament, ultimately losing by just two points. The same pattern emerged this time around, with Wexford boasting a five-point lead 70 minutes in, only for a sudden double goal from Danny Sutcliffe and Cian O’Sullivan to strike them down. Thankfully, Cathal Dunbar scored a point that slipped between Dublin’s dual goals, ensuring Wexford got away with some dignity.

Dublin’s manager, Micheal O’Donoghue, poignantly stated, “If victory isn’t achievable, at least avoid defeat.”

Contrastingly, Kieth Rossiter, Wexford’s manager, summed up the game as “Fine for 70 minutes, disastrous for the final three.”

The season of unpredictable, seismic shifts in results is well and truly here.

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