ONLY a month out from the Munster Senior Hurling Championship opener away to Tipperary, Limerick fulfilled their last meaningful fixture with a disappointing 1-19 to 1-12 Division 1A League loss to bottom side Wexford at the Gaelic Grounds.
At the turnaround, Limerick were 0-9 to 0-6 adrift.
Aided by a goal from Shane O’Brien, the Shannonsiders gained parity in the early part of the new half only to fall away once more.
“A very poor performance,” acknowledged home manager John Kiely.
“We lacked flow, and we lacked patterns to our game. And, to be fair to Wexford, they should have won by a lot, lot more.”
Listed for duty, inspirational past captain Declan Hannon was ruled out with a minor leg injury, while David Reidy missed the tie through sickness.
Full-back Mike Casey was forced off with “a dead leg” and is expected back into training by the weekend.
The returning Darragh O’Donovan turned in an impressive hour’s showing.
Limerick: Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh); Vincent Harrington (Na Piarsaigh), Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), Barry Nash (South Liberties); Diarmaid Byrnes 0-3 (Patrickswell); Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown), Cian Scully (Dromin/Athlacca); Micheál Houlihan (Kilmallock) , Darragh O’Donovan (Doon); Gearóid Hegarty 0-1 (St. Patrick’s), Aidan O’Connor (Ballybrown), Tom Morrissey 0-3 (Ahane); Aaron Gillane 0-4 (Patrickswell), Shane O’Brien 1-0 (Kilmallock), Adam English 0-1 (Doon).
Substitutes: Seán Finn (Bruff), Fergal O’Connor (Effin), Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (Monaleen), Eddie Stokes , Cian Lynch, captain, (Patrickswell), Séamus Flanagan.
