Soccer – March to promotion continues

A HOME game against Cobh Ramblers is the next step for Limerick FC on their virtually unsinkable cruise to the First Division title, with Martin Russell’s team welcoming the promotion play-off chasers to the Markets Field this Saturday evening (kick-off 6:30pm).
The Super Blues have a 19-point lead at the summit, with Saturday’s opponents in a three-way tussle for for the promotion play-offs with UCD and Drogheda United.
Last Friday, the Super Blues defeated Waterford United 5-1 at the RSC, although three of the visitors’ goals came in the final 10 minutes.
Chris Mulhall put Limerick in front early on before Robert Bayly levelled for Waterford near half-time. Two goals from the returning Aaron Greene ended the game as a contest, with Stephen Kenny and Garbhan Coughlan adding gloss to the final score in the closing minutes.
Russell was happy with how his team responded to the concession of an equaliser just before the interval, saying: “It worked out well in the end. We went in level at half-time and we asked the lads for a bit more in the second half. The response was great and I’m pleased that I’ve seen that in them. There were more positives than negatives again and three points is a boost as well.”
Greene also heralded his team-mates’ second half performance, drawing comparisons with the previous week’s come-from-behind win against UCD, while he believes that the First Division leaders can go the entire league season without defeat.
He said: “It was similar to [the UCD game]. Then we were 2-1 down at half-time, here we were 1-1. The gaffer asked us to go out and give a good response and I think we showed that. It was great character from the team to do that two weeks in a row.
“We want to do this unbeaten. We had a few people saying we looked sluggish [against UCD] but they didn’t realise we had 10 men for most of the game. The boys’ fitness is very good. We’re 19 points clear and we just look forward to Cobh this week and try to get three points.”