Allen sees victory as 'sweet and sour' prize

HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION ONE B:LAST MAY, Limerick found a way past Clare in a thrilling Division Two final. Goals from the rising Treaty county hurlers Declan Hannon and Kevin Downes proved decisive. Limerick were up and over the fence, leaving Clare stranded in the mud.

That is until the powers that be decided to move around the deck chairs on the Titanic. Limerick were back in Division Two – rebranded as Division One B – with Downes, Hannon and Shane Dowling all injured.

Donal O’Grady handed over the managerial reigns to John Allen. Just as he had done with Cork in 2005.

In February, on the league’s opening day, they were shanked by a Clare side now managed by Davy Fitzgerald.

The pair meet once again tomorrow night at the Gaelic Grounds in the Division One B final (6pm).

The stakes are ridiculously high. The victor goes up to Division One A in 2013. They also face Kilkenny in a Division One A semi-final a few weeks from now.

Allen calls it the “sweet and sour” prize: “Sweet because we go up to One A but sour as the winner must play Kilkenny next.”

He finds it hard to see the value in playing Kilkenny considering the leap in standard between the divisions.

From where Allen is standing, this season’s new league structure is plain wrong. “It is detrimental to the counties in One B. Whether ourselves or Clare don’t make it up and either Dublin or Galway get relegated, the problem still exists.

“Now, one of those teams will most likely go back up to One A but what about the progress of Offaly, Antrim and Wexford.

“Yes, there has been some good, quality matches in this year’s league to such an extent that we have been unable to experiment – you had to put the best team out every game as we couldn’t afford to slip up after losing to Clare.

“But I cannot see the benefit for counties in One B. If One A and One B were equally divided so everybody gets a chance to play against the Kilkennys, Tipps and Corks then there would be benefit.

“I know there is no perfect system but as it currently stands it is hugely disadvantageous to One B teams. The counties stranded there are going to go further backwards.

“It was done and dusted and then they revisited the structures and came up with this.

“I know that is a bit of a rant but it is a detrimental system for those below the top tier.”

Who can argue with a man who has guided his native Cork to successive Munster titles and an All-Ireland during his two-year term from 2005-’06.

The most bizarre and frustrating aspect of all this is Allen’s opinion about the league structures was not sought until an email landed in late January.

By then he was getting on with things. A draw with Offaly and victory up in Belfast secured their place in tomorrow’s final.

However, they may not be ready for a Clare team that has seen Davy Fitzgerald transfer the smooth backroom systems in Waterford over to his native county.

“Davy brings a huge professionalism to the set-up,” says Clare captain Pat Donnellan. “He is a proven intercounty manager with Waterford and LIT as well in recent years.

“He lives and dies by hurling, you can see it by his preparation. All we have to do as players is show up and train and not worry about the preparation. He has probably upped in this year as regards dieting, conditioning and coaching. We are well looked after.”

Allen was happy with the foundations laid by O’Grady, the county board are onside and he has been impressed by the players attitude.

The only problem is injury. Groins, hamstrings and ligaments strains have seen Dublin go backwards this year. Limerick are sailing in similarly ropey waters.

Dowling is back on the field, having missed half the league, and will probably take over the free-taking duties if the stitches in Conor Allis’s hand injury prevents him from playing. Tom Condon is another worry, also with a hand problem.

Downes has come off the bench of late, after hamstring problems, but is not yet fit enough to go 70 minutes. Hannon is the real concern. His bulging potential has been robbed from public view throughout the league due to a groin injury.

“It’s a fair testimony to the others that we have coped well enough to make it to the final,” Allen notes. “But yes, Limerick need players of their potential to be fit.”