Limerick FC 0-2 Shamrock Rovers
DESPITE a third consecutive home defeat leaving them rooted to the bottom of the table, the unwanted position they have occupied ever since the opening weekend of the season in March, Limerick FC will go into their final match of the regular Premier Division campaign next week still in with a chance of survival.
Defeat to Shamrock Rovers, who struck through Brandon Miele and Stephen McPhail, could have seen Limerick relegated on Friday night, but with Drogheda United also losing, it means the Super Blues can still catch the Boynesiders in 11th.
After a stale performance against Derry City last week, Limerick quickly set about trying to rectify matters in the opening exchanges at a packed Markets Field. Vinny Faherty had the ball in the visitors’ net inside five minutes after being set up by Paul O’Conor, but the striker was offside.
Martin Russell’s team have been willing to attack in almost every game throughout the season, but they have also been susceptible to defensive calamities and one of those struck in the 13th minute. Robbie Williams was trying to play the ball out from the back when he passed straight to Ryan Brennan, who supplied Miele with the chance to fire past Freddy Hall from outside the penalty area and the Hoops’ midfielder duly scored against Limerick yet again, having struck in both of the other teams’ meetings earlier in the year.
The home side’s response was encouraging, with no signs of self-pity as they won two corners in quick succession. The first of those saw Williams nearly equalise at the back post and the second resulted in a penalty shout from Faherty, but referee Graham Kelly didn’t want to know.
Limerick weren’t lacking for commitment and determination but time and again the final ball let them down. One such instance was when captain Shane Duggan tried to pick out Faherty with a long pass, only to overcook it. A few minutes later, Shaun Kelly slipped a ball through to Ian Turner, but his first touch was far too heavy.
Shamrock Rovers almost doubled their lead just before the half-hour when Danny North played it to Ryan Brennan, who set himself before rattling a shot off the Limerick crossbar. They didn’t have to wait much longer to go 2-0 ahead, though. Duggan conceded a free outside the box in the 34th minute and up stepped McPhail to rifle the ball into the top corner. It was a superb strike, although the Limerick wall could have been more imposing.
The Super Blues thought they had pulled one back on the stroke of half-time when Dean Clarke crossed to Turner, who fired to the net. However, the assistant referee correctly judged that Faherty was in an offside position and impeding goalkeeper Barry Murphy’s view. Despite the disgruntlement of the home supporters, the officials got this one right.
Another chance fell Limerick’s way immediately after half-time after Shaun Kelly burst into the Shamrock Rovers penalty box and picked out Clarke, only for the ball to get stuck under the attacker’s feet and the threat was gone.
McPhail was then lucky to get away with an elbow into the face of Turner in an aerial duel. The former Cork City midfielder had to get some quick treatment but he was OK to continue.
On 64 minutes, Limerick really should have halved the deficit. With the visitors content to hold what they had and frustrate the relegation-threatened hosts, chances didn’t come any better than the free header which fell to O’Conor from Sean Russell’s free kick. The ex-Drogheda man directed it over the bar, though, and Pat Fenlon’s side were let off the hook.
In their increasingly desperate attempts to retrieve a couple of goals, Limerick were leaving themselves open at the back and it took last-ditch defending from Williams to deny Simon Madden, and then Kelly to thwart Miele, just to keep it at 2-0.
Martin Russell belatedly threw on Darragh Rainsford and Cyril Guedje as the minutes ticked away, but the indomitable self-belief that Limerick showed during their prolonged unbeaten spell in August and September wasn’t on display here. In the end it was comfortable for Shamrock Rovers, who have their sights set on pipping Cork City for second place.
They will have Limerick’s full support on Friday when Drogheda visit Tallaght Stadium. For the Super Blues, however, the time for maths is over. The mission when they travel to The Showgrounds to take on Sligo Rovers, who guaranteed their safety by winning at St Pat’s, could not be simpler – win or bust. Only three points will do, although thanks to Longford’s win in Drogheda, those three points would be enough to take them off the bottom if the Louth men fail to beat Shamrock Rovers.
Limerick will have to show a lot more potency on Friday than they have in their previous two games, although at least they have taken their battle for Premier Division survival to the final day. Of course, there is still the matter of a play-off to come if they can leapfrog Drogheda, but everyone connected with soccer in this city would gladly take that right now.
Limerick FC: Hall; Kelly, Kanyuka, Williams, Russell (Rainsford 83); Duggan, O’Conor; Turner, Lynch (Tracy h-t), Clarke; Faherty (Guedje 87).
Shamrock Rovers: Murphy; Madden, Webster, Kenna, O’Connor; Cregg, McPhail (McCabe 79); G Brennan, R Brennan (Drennan 79), Miele; North (Duff 87).
Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork)
Attendance: 1,960
