Clare defenders try to bully Aaron Gillane out of it, his response put them in their place

Niall McIntyre

Stand up and fight.

Defenders will go out to bully forwards out of the game. Corner backs are renowned for it.

They’ll be in your shorts, they’ll be pulling and dragging out of you even when the ball is down at the other end of the field. They’ll try to intimidate you.

That goes on in club games and at inter-county level the tricks only get harsher. The defenders only get meaner.

Aaron Gillane is the Limerick hurlers’ star turn at the moment. But he is only young yet. The Mary I student is only out of the under-21 grade and is in his first year with the Treaty’s seniors.

You can bet your bottom dollar on it that Clare defenders Patrick O’Connor and Jack Browne went into Monday’s Hurling League quarter final with the intention of ruffling this lad up. Giving him a few digs to try and break him down and to see what he’s made of. They would have targeted him.

They tried that alright but Gillane was having none of it. He may not have a wealth of experience, but what he showed on Monday was fight and plenty of it.

There’s fire lining this man’s stomach. He wasn’t prepared to lie down and let them walk over him. He has a bit of cut about him and he’ll be bould if he has to be.

With Limerick struggling in the first half, going through the motions and getting played off the park by neighbours Clare, something had to give. Someone had to stand up.

That man was Aaron Gillane.

Two minutes in and the first ball comes down Gillane and his marker Patrick O’Connor’s way. The 21-year-old horsed the Clare captain out of his way leaving him panned out on the turf.

Gillane glided past him before winning a 65.

O’Connor’s Clare teammate David Fitgerald is dragged over to sniff out the danger. Gillane lashes a right boot at him. He’s up for the fight.

The Shannonsiders struggled in that first half, and were it not for a Gillane solo effort green flag in the 22nd minute, they would have stayed down.