Limerick get back in promotion race as they add to Wicklow’s woes
over 3 years in The Irish Times
Wicklow 1-9 Limerick 1-13
Limerick bounced back from the defeat to Louth a week ago with this victory over Wicklow in their Division Three game at Aughrim on Saturday.
The win puts the Treatymen back on course to challenge for promotion in a three-way race with Westmeath and Antrim at the moment.
In contrast Colin Kelly’s Wicklow have just three games left to stave off relegation back to Division Four once more in his first year at the helm as manager. They have just one point from four starts and must get something from their three remaining games to avoid the drop
Wicklow came out firing after a pre-match pep talk from their manager and raced into a three points lead in the first eight minutes, two scored by free-taking goalie Mark Jackson from the left.
Limerick settled and drew level on nine minutes with a goal by full forward Josh Ryan, who went on to add a further four points from frees.
Wicklow were down to 14 men for 10 minutes after wing back Eoin Murtagh picked up a black card but they held Limerick to just two points in that period.
Then in the 27th minute Wicklow’s Eoin Darcy won a penalty from an attack that started from their own defence. Darcy took the spot kick and blasted to the net to cut the margin to two, 1-5 to 1-3.
However Limerick hit back again to lead 1-8 to 1-3 at the break.
Wicklow were never able to close the gap in the second half though Darcy brought a brilliant sane from Donal O’Sullivan in the 52nd minute.
The second half was noted for black cards cards to Limerick’s Ian Corbett and Josh Ryan and Mark Jackson and a red card for Limerick’s Brian Donovan.
WICKLOW: M Jackson (0-3, three frees); P O’Keane, J Snell, M Stone; Z Cullen, N Donnelly, E Murtagh; D Healy (0-1), P O’Toole; A Maher, M Kenny (0-3, two frees), D Fitzgerald; O McGraynor, K Quinn (0-1), E Darcy (1-0).
Subs: N Devereux for Donnelly, T Moran for Stone, C O’Brien for McGraynor, R Stokes for Maher.
LIMERICK: D O’Sullivan; J Liston, S O’Dea, P Maher; K Ryan, I Corbett, G Brown; D Treacy, C Fahy; A Enright (0-1), B Donovan (0-1), J Naughton (0-1); P Nash (0-1), J Ryan (1-4, four frees), H Bourke (0-4).
Subs: R Childs for Brown, L Murphy for O’Dea, M Donovan for Liston, D Kelly (0-1) for Nash, S de Brun for Enright.
Referee: S Mulhare.