Sport

BY NIALL SHERRY SPORTS EDITOR SPORTSEDITORKILKENNYOBSERVER.IE

Allianz Hurling League Final

2023

Sunday, 9th April @ 2pm

Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Kilkenny

Vs

Limerick

>> SHERRY SAYS LEAGUE FINAL PREVIEW

Kilkenny will make the 150km journey to Páirc Uí Chaoimh to tackle Limerick in this year’s Allianz hurling league nal. Our opponent’s journey is slightly shorter, but once both teams arrive, the di culty in the Cats task will be immense.

Hurling heads will regularly be heard talking about John Kiely’s Limerick in glowing terms and rivalling the great Kilkenny teams of the last 25 years. ere is no doubting that this is a ‘generational’ Treaty team, and many wouldn’t bet against them being spoken about as glowingly as Brian Cody’s winning teams in years to come.

But how they will be judged in the fullness of time is a matter for another day. e immediate attention switches to the banks of the river Lee for Sunday’s league nal which pits the Cats against the Treaty.

Derek Lyng will take charge of our senior hurlers in a nal for the rst time, and the fact that the Emeralds man has delivered this appearance in a decider is a sure sign of the progress that has undoubtedly been made since Mr. B Cody departed. Listen, when you reach a nal, in any competition, you want to win it, but with championship hurling on the horizon, the Kilkenny manager will be keen to test his nous against the best team around for the last couple of years.

I’d imagine that if our boys can stick with this Limerick side for 60 minutes, it will set up an interesting nale.

Both sides come into Sunday’s nal with identical records, 4 wins and one defeat from ve group games.

Limerick lost their opener to Cork, while the Cats came up short at home to a resurgent Tipperary at UPMC Nowlan Park.

e semi- nals saw Sunday’s nalists record 6-point wins over Cork and Tipperary respectively, the teams had had taken their scalps in the group stages.

is year’s Walsh Cup and Allianz league has provided the stage for a young man from Galmoy to showcase his undoubted talent at senior level. Yes, step forward Billy Drennan. Not only given a chance at this level by his former U20 manager that guided Billy and his teammates to last season’s All-Ireland title, but the softly spoken attacker has also been given the placed ball responsibility in the absence of the legendary TJ Reid.

Drennan has not let anyone down in the scoring stakes during this