Former Tipperary forward Shane McGrath heaped praise on Limerick’s young stars after the Shannonsiders inflicted Cork with their first defeat of the Allianz Hurling League campaign on Saturday night.

John Kiely’s men made their goals count in a 3-19 to 0-20 victory over the Munster champions at the TUS Gaelic Grounds, where Shane O’Brien, Cathal O’Neill and Aidan O’Connor (penalty) all found the net for the hosts as they joined their opponents at the top of the Division 1A table.

Speaking on the RTE GAA Podcast, McGrath says the Treaty men have been very impressive in recent weeks, with O’Connor leading the attack for them.

"At the start of the league I was wondering when are the newer lads going to step up? You can’t keep asking Gillane, Lynch, Hegarty, the Morrisseys, again and again," he said.

"What I saw against Cork was a changing of the guard. The newer lads – well some of the lads have been on the panel three or four years – saying, 'hey, this is our team now, we’ll do this and ye can come in to finish it off.’

"That’s evident in the fact that between Aidan O’Connor, Adam English, Cathal O’Neill, Hugh Flanagan and Shane O’Brien, they got 3-16 out of a tally of 3-19."

On O’Connor, who finished with 1-11 against the Rebels, he added: "He’s been exceptional, probably player of the league so far. He just needed a chance. I have seen him up close as a coach with his club Ballybrown and with UL, I’ve seen what he can do. He’s unbelievable."

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