John Kiely speaks to the media after Limerick’s thrilling draw with Tipperary and gives his answer to last week’s rumour mill regarding Gearoid Hegarty.
John Kiely insists he had no knowledge of any rumours around Gearoid Hegarty supposedly departing the Limerick panel in the lead-up to the Tipperary game.
The Galbally man dismissed the question out of hand with “I hadn’t heard that” after his side drew with the Premier in the Munster SHC last weekend.
His side trailled for long spells of the clash but led during injury time, before John McGrath levelled after a contentious free at the death.
“I think Tipperary were really efficient,” Kiely adds of the game, which finished 0-25 apiece.
“When they got the chances, they took them in the first half. Jake Morris was exceptional. They caused us all sorts of difficulty.
“We would have been happy really with three points of a difference at half time given the breeze that was there.
“We came out in the second half and the breeze had slightly shifted, but we got off to a really strong start.
“That third quarter would have been something that we would be really happy with. We were dominant.
“I think in the second half we created 24 scoring chances to their 14, which is a reflection of the dominance that we had in the second half, but we just didn’t put it on the scoreboard.
“It was one of those days that it could have gotten away from us. It didn’t. It didn’t because of the resolve and character that the group has.
“That showed when it was in the melting pot in the final quarter. I have to take my hat off to the lads. They were brilliant.
“They kept on doing the right thing. Kept on doing what we want them to do. Never dropped their heads and gave themselves that chance.”
