Limerick footballers primed for Wexford challenge
Billy Lee
By William Dunne
Limerick’s senior footballers have experienced a high number of squad turnovers since last year, but new manager Billy Lee is relishing the challenge of working with a new panel.
A single point defeat to Clare - A Clare side that pushed Kerry close two weekends ago - sent Limerick into the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers where they will now face Wexford on Saturday in Round 1B.
Wexford were famously defeated by Carlow, who registered their first championship win since 2011, and Lee is enthusiastic about taking on Seamus McEnaney’s men at the Gaelic Grounds this weekend.
“It’s exciting,” Lee told GAA.ie. “I think any manager that you’d talk to would always tell you that there is always pressure on these games.
“You can’t let the pressure get to you. You have got to enjoy these occasions and you got to embrace it, and put the pressure to one side and get on with it. Simple as that.
“Take on the challenge that Wexford will put in front of us and do the best we can and be the best we can.”
The loss to Clare was marginal, and Lee says that his inexperienced squad would have gained valuable knowledge from that defeat.
“You’ll always learn from a championship match,” said Lee in reference to the Clare match.
“Of the championship team that togged out against Clare in 2016, and the championship team that togged out in 2017, there was 14 players from the 2016 panel that weren’t available to us.
“Which means we had to blood a lot of people and put them into an environment that they have never been in before.
“So it’s a learning experience for them first off, being in a championship day. So, there were many aspects where would have learned. It was a good experience.”
Wexford beat Limerick in the opening round of the league and while Lee recognises that his opponents may have the upper hand, he says that Saturday is a new game and believes that his side can win if they focus on maximising their own capabilities.
“We played Wexford in the league and they beat us,” said Lee.
“They’ve got promoted since, and that would indicate that they’re in a better place than we are in 2017. With that to one side, it’s a new game.
“We’ll just get on with it and we'll just embrace the challenge that's in front of us and bring our own style to the game.
“We’ll try to be the best we can be and try and focus on what we’re trying to do and that for me is the thing.”
