In the glow of a shining day for Limerick hurling, manager John Allen eventually ambles into view having achieved what he managed twice with his native Cork by leading a team to the Munster final.
Beset by the difficulties of playing in a lower division of the league and haunted by recent failures, Limerick hurling needed an afternoon like this to restore itself and by rising up against reigning champions Tipperary and sending them on the long road through the qualifiers, it got it.
Allen spoke of last year’s meeting with the same opponents when Limerick appeared to have done enough only for Tipp’s superior reserve strength to snatch the verdict late. “Somewhere at the back of your head you’re saying we did match them and for some of the time dominate them for 55 or 60 minutes and then, you know, they had a stronger bench to bring in so it obviously had something to do with it, yeah. The work ethic this year – now it was very good last year but the work ethic this year!”
So when Tipperary turned around the half-time deficit just after the break to lead by four in the 49th minutes, Allen sensed the ghosts of the past.
“Yeah, I suppose one side of me was saying it’s the same old story again, that we’re going to slip in the last 10 minutes or quarter of an hour. We didn’t, and I think the subs that we made just brought something to it.”
His counterpart in the other dressing room Eamon O’Shea tried to explain the unforeseen outcome. “It’s very disappointing. We came into the game thinking it was 50-50. Limerick were a team with momentum over the last number of years and this was their day and I think they played really well to get the game from us.
“We didn’t play as well as we felt we could but that is taking nothing from them. I thought it was a very good game by Limerick.
“It looked like we had taken back control in the third quarter but I was never totally happy even at that stage. Maybe another point or two and we would have kicked on because they had a strong level of desire in their play right from the beginning and we didn’t get into any rhythm. And when that happens the team with momentum finishes the game strongly and they did.”
He did of course coach the team that came through the qualifiers to win an All-Ireland three years ago. Useful experience? “Well I’d prefer not to have to use it but if I have to use it, it’s there.”
Would John Allen prefer to take on his own county, who play Clare in the second semi-final, in the final? “Ah look, I’m committed to Limerick and I’m working with a very committed group of people. I’m a very proud Cork man, but I’m committed to Limerick now. If it’s Cork, it’s Cork.”
