Injury takes step out of Limerick win

Man of the Match Peter Casey suffered a season-ending injury during last weekendโ€™s clash with Tipperary. Photo: Brendan Moran.

WITHOUT question, the step was taken out of Limerickโ€™s Munster Senior Hurling Championship demolition of Tipperary (which came close to a record 19-point margin over Tipp way back in 1947) by the season-ending injury sustained by ace forward Peter Casey.

All-Star Casey suffered a horrific ankle break as he rifled home Limerickโ€™s second goal, which propelled the holders to a runaway 2-27 to 0-18 triumph.

He was stretchered off the pitch to the rapturous applause of the attendance of nearly 35,000 spectators and was due to have surgery midweek.

โ€œItโ€™s Jekyll and Hyde, isnโ€™t it?โ€ Limerick boss John Kiely lamented after the match. โ€œDevastation for Peter and his injury, and sure nobody wants to see anyone get injured on any team.โ€

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โ€œThese boys all put in a huge, huge shift and it doesnโ€™t matter what team it is, but he is one of ours. It hurts, it hurts the group very much to see that has happened.โ€

Pouring prise on Casey, Kiely said that โ€œheโ€™s just an incredible talent. Peter can do it in the air, he can do it on the ground, left and right. Heโ€™s got a fantastic hurling brain, and heโ€™s just been a real fillip for us in the group and has stacked up some great plays for us down through the years.โ€

Casey, scorer of a class 1-2, was subsequently selected as RTร‰โ€™s Man of the Match, an awarded accepted on his behalf by captain Declan Hannon.

In his Irish Examiner column, pundit Anthony Daly stated: โ€œPeter was Man of the Match. His goal sealed it. Giving him the award was certainly no sympathy vote from us (The Sunday Game panel).โ€

Challenging Casey for his accolade on the field were Seรกn Finn, Kyle Hayes, Cathal Oโ€™Neill, and Aaron Gillane, while Adam English (0-4) made a huge impression off the bench.

Only a week earlier, Caseyโ€™s older brother Mike was an early injury casualty in the opening round win against Clare at Cusack Park, Ennis.

Limerick, in pursuit of a 25th provincial title, are next out against pointless Cork at Pรกirc Uรญ Chaoimh on Saturday next week (May 11).

Tipp, meanwhile, are at Walsh Park to tackle Waterford this weekend.