Limerick FC 7-2 Waterford United
ON THE weekend of Riverfest, with Limerick city a hive of activity, there was no shortage of entertainment at Markets Field on Saturday evening as Limerick FC hit Waterford United for seven to extend their lead in the First Division to 12 points after just nine games.
John O’Flynn hit a first half hat-trick as Limerick led 3-1 at the interval, although the final score was harsh on a Waterford side that had given the hosts plenty to worry about before the floodgates opened in the final quarter of the game.
Those floodgates threatened to open after a mere 47 seconds, for that was how long it took the Super Blues to find the back of Waterford’s net. Garbhan Coughlan played the ball wide to Stephen Kelly, who set up O’Flynn for a tap-in.
Limerick unsurprisingly had the bulk of the play in the early stages and only for the high line being played by Waterford’s defence catching O’Flynn offside on a few occasions, the game could have been over as a contest inside the first 15 minutes. That said, the majority of those offside calls appeared rather marginal.
A slack Waterford throw-in on the quarter-hour gave Paul O’Conor an unexpected chance and his shot was brilliantly tipped behind by Kevin Burns. In the 17th minute, however, the home fans were stunned into silence, and the damage was inflicted by a former Limerick player. David O’Leary let fly with what seemed a hopeful long-range effort, but Freddy Hall botched his attempt at saving it and, out of nowhere, the teams were level. Many of the home fans sportingly applauded the goal, while O’Leary refused to celebrate scoring against his former club.
Limerick then lost Coughlan through injury, but his replacement Lee-J Lynch was a bundle of energy and he forced a fine save from Burns on 28 minutes before O’Conor narrowly missed the target with two efforts as the home side began to regain their momentum, although there was a scare when Anthony McAlavey easily outmuscled Shane Duggan and shot from just outside the penalty area, Hall redeeming himself to an extent with a firm save.
Waterford were aiming to get to half-time on level terms but a three-minute spell just before the interval poured cold water on that plan. In the 41st minute, Shaun Kelly delivered a teasing diagonal cross that O’Flynn flicked to the net with a deft header, and then the ex-Cork City striker completed his hat-trick with a cool one-on-one finish just seconds after Hall denied Eoin Rhodes at the other end.
At half-time, a group of Limerick supporters carried buckets throughout the ground in efforts to fundraise for cash-strapped Waterford United. This heartwarming gesture of solidarity with a long-established and highly respected League of Ireland club raised €1,014 for Waterford, who we all hope will come out the right side of this delicate situation.
Within five minutes of the restart, Limerick almost had a fourth when Aaron Greene’s shot from the left hit off Roy Butler and forced a reactionary goal-line clearance from Colm Nugent, before Paudie O’Connor flashed a header narrowly wide from a corner. Just as the home side were threateneing to run riot, though, another long-distance stunner hushed the stadium. James O’Brien made space for himself to unleash a 25-yard effort that sailed over Hall, but Martin Russell will not have been amused by the amount of room that the Waterford midfielder had to get his shot off.
It was nearly 3-3 on the hour when Aaron O’Connor’s cross was headed just wide by Philly Gorman, with the visitors showing no inhibitions against a Limerick side enduring a disjointed spell. However, the two-goal margin was re-established after 63 minutes, O’Flynn this time the supplier of the goal as his through ball was finished neatly by O’Conor.
Shortly after Burns produced an impressive double save with Limerick now firmly in the ascendancy, the scoreboard showed the same 5-2 scoreline that Limerick racked up when they visited the RSC in March. O’Conor’s flick allowed the ball to drop nicely for Kenny to finish to the net with ease. Shane Tracy then fizzed a free kick just wide of the post in the 79th minute before Waterford almost nicked a third goal, Aaron O’Connor submitting his entry to the miss of the season contest as he fired over the bar unmarked from 10 yards after being set up by O’Brien.
Chris Mulhall, who came on as a substitute for man of the match O’Flynn, got in on the scoring act with six minutes to go, turning the ball home after O’Conor’s shot was blocked and the ball looped in the air before dropping for Mulhall. The scoring was rounded off in the final minute of normal time by O’Conor, who directed Lynch’s cross to the net with a diving header as Limerick became the second team in a fortnight to hit seven past Waterford, who also succumbed to a second half onslaught from Cork City in the EA Sports Cup recently.
That’s nine wins out of nine now for Limerick in the First Division, this result taking them to the 40-goal mark a third of the way through the season, and there was still a few glitches on which Russell will aim to improve. The final score didn’t reflect Waterford’s efforts on the night, but sadly for the club from the south-east, the concession of seven goals to the runaway league leaders is far from their biggest concern at this moment.
Limerick FC: Hall; Kelly, O’Connor, Whitehead, Tracy; O’Conor, Duggan; Kenny (Mann 76), Coughlan (Lynch 23), Greene; O’Flynn (Mulhall 70).
Waterford United: Burns; Reidy (O’Connor h-t), Butler, Nugent, McGuire (Dermody h-t); Buckley (Mackey 69), O’Leary, McAlavey, O’Brien; Gorman, Rhodes.
Referee: John McLoughlin
Attendance: 1,457
