JOE QUAID'S face showed the kind of strain which only a hurling goalkeeper can experience. He had produced two of the most spectacular saves seen in Croke Park to deny Wexford goals at crucial stages of the match and then had to watch as his forwards up front frittered away chance after chance.

"We left an All Ireland behind us in 1994 but we were beaten fair and square today. It seemed as though Wexford had the extra man at times. We started well but fell away and we didn't take our scores in the second half when we should have taken control. Then we left it too late.

"Our dressing room is like a morgue. It is hard to be on the losing side again. We can't really lay the blame on any sector of the team. The whole team effort was well below our ability.

"Wexford must get great credit. They kept plugging away and several players made wonderful clearances under pressure near the end. Some of our players, including myself, took a lot of stick after 1994 and we were determined to put things right this year but we never really lifted the tempo of the game.

"No, the 1994 match wasn't really on our minds. We had what we regarded as a very good championship run in Munster and did just enough to beat Antrim but we were disappointing today in all facets of the game and we have no excuses," he said.

It was a sentiment echoed again and again by Limerick folk. The team manager, Tom Ryan, said: "Nothing went right for us and our shooting was simply dreadful. We gave away a softish goal but I thought we did reasonably well in the first half and we were only a point behind at the break. I felt we had a very good chance of victory at that stage.

"But we only got four points in the second half in spite of having some very good chances. In fairness, Wexford's defence was very tight and our scoring misses happened under pressure. Wexford were very brave, particularly after they lost Scallan.

"I thought his sending off was a bit harsh. If it hadn't been for the flare up just beforehand I think he would have been let off with a caution. It is strange how the sending off of a player can often inspire a team, and this happened with Wexford.

"Their hurling was crisp and direct. They are a physical team and they were very good under the high ball. That is all part of the game and we didn't match them.

"I thought we were going to win in the first half. Barry Foley was having a very good match but in the end it all boiled down to the fact that Wexford were more accurate than we were. As well as that we weren't getting the ball into the front line and our hurling in this respect was poor.

"Joe Quaid had a great game and we would have been well out of it but for his two great saves," he said.

Limerick midfielder Mike Houlihan also felt that the sending off of Scallan was harsh. He felt that the Wexfordman had paid the price for the misdeeds of others.

"As things turned the sending off probably benefited them more than it did us,"id Houlihan. "They certainly didn't allow it to upset them. In fact they played all the harder to compensate. Wexford did all the hurling. They chased everything and didn't let anyone settle on the ball. Both teams wanted to win very badly but it seems that Wexford were more determined and hungrier than we were.

"It is difficult to explain. I don't really understand it. We certainly did not do ourselves justice out there today."

That was the best summary of a miserable day for Limerick. The inquests will go on for some time but Quaid was upbeat enough to say: "We just have to put the pieces together and start all over again."