It had the pace and temper of a challenge match and that was the biggest indictment of Antrim’s performance; they never made Limerick fight, they never put them on the back foot, they never tore into them — like underdogs must and like the championship demands. It is astonishing to think that it’s only two years since Antrim gave Wexford the fright of their lives in an All-Ireland quarter-final in Croke Park. Compared with that, this was spineless and spiritless.
The game was literally over in 10 minutes. By then Limerick were 2-5 to 0-1 in front, with not even a wide to spoil the exhibition. TJ Ryan flashed home the first goal after just two minutes, cutting in from the left and beating Damien Quinn in the Antrim goal with a powerful shot to the roof of the net.
Eight minutes later his brother, Donie Ryan, added the second. From wide on the right Niall Moran had time to look up and cross the ball, precisely, into Ryan’s hand. If he happened to keel over or suddenly lose interest, Donnacha Sheahan was standing right next to him to pick up the pieces. Both of their markers were evidently detained elsewhere. Ryan took one look and buried the ball in corner.
Briefly, in the second quarter, we allowed ourselves to dream that the game might yet have a life. Antrim summoned five points without reply in a golden eight minute spell — but that was it. Johnny McIntosh had a goal chance that flew across Timmy Houlihan and wide at the far post, and when that didn’t go in Antrim’s impetus drained away.
Having cut Limerick’s lead to eight points, 2-8 to 0-6, with seven minutes left in the first half, they were staggered with another couple of hard punches and ended up going in at the break 13 points behind, 3-10 to 0-6. Ryan’s second goal just before half time was deflected off the full-back Gavin Bell.
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After that our only function was book-keeping. Limerick moved the ball with an unexpected level of clinical deliberation. They drilled low ball into the forward line and sprayed passes around to loose men, standing in space. In tight situations they laid off hand passes to men running on in support and everybody seemed programmed to respect the gameplan. It was all very impressive and at the same time false because nothing was executed under the kind of pressure they will experience from Galway in a fortnight’s time.
Pat Kirby’s first point, 15 minutes from the end, perfectly expressed what they aimed to do. Brian McFall’s shot for a goal from a 21-yard free was blocked on the line. Limerick worked the ball out of a tight space and five passes later Kirby put it over the bar at the other end.
Limerick might do something this year yet. But we couldn’t say that yesterday was the turning point.
Limerick: THoulihan; D Reale, S Lucey, P O’Dwyer; O Moran, B Geary (K Tobin h-t), P Lawlor (0-3, 1f, 1 65); P O’Grady (0-1), D O’Grady; P Tobin (0-1; A O’Connor 56min; 0-2, 1f), N Moran (0-6), A O’Shaughnessy (1-1); D Ryan (2-1; C Fitzgerald 43min, 0-1), TJ Ryan (1-5 4f; S O’Connor 41min), D Sheahan (0-2; P Kirby 49min, 0-2) Antrim: D Quinn; M Kettle (C Herron 17min), G Bell, C Hamill; G Cunningham, J Campbell, M McCambridge (0-1; A O’Caireallean 30min); P Richmond (0-1), M Scullion; K McKeegan (0-3f), K Kelly (C McGuckian 51min), K Stewart (0-1; M Herron 47min); J McIntosh (0-1), J Connolly (1-0), B McFall (0-2, 1f) Referee: Seamus McGrath (Westmeath)