2022 Allianz Football League Division 3 – Limerick 1-13 Wicklow 1-9

Limerick defeated Wicklow by 1-13 to 1-9 in Round 4 of the Allianz Football League Division 3 on Saturday February 26th at Aughrim.

Limerick maintain promotion push to second tier with win over Wicklow

Report by Mark Kennedy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Wicklow 1-9 Limerick 1-13

Limerick bounced back from their defeat to Louth a week ago with this victory over a hapless Wicklow in their Allianz League Division 3 game at Aughrim on Saturday.

The win puts the Treaty men 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 4 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 by Kelly and raced into a three-point 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 ten minutes after wing-back Eoin Murtagh picked up a black card. That notwithstanding, 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 Eoin Darcy brought a brilliant save from Donal O’Sullivan in the 52nd minute.

The second-half was noted for black cards to Limerick’s Ian Corbett and Josh Ryan as well as Wicklow keeper Mark Jackson. There was also a red card for Limerick’s Brian Donovan.

Scorers for Wicklow: E Darcy (1-0), M Jackson (0-3 frees), M Kenny (0-3, 2 frees), D Healy, A Maher and K Quinn ( all 0-1).

Scorers for Limerick: Josh Ryan (1-4, 0-4 frees), H Burke (0-4), D Donovan, A Enright, P Nash, J Naughton and D Kelly (all 0-1 each).

Wicklow: M Jackson; P O’Keane, J Snell, M Stone; Z Cullen, N Donnelly, E Murtagh; D Healy, P O’Toole; A Maher, M Kenny, D Fitzgerald; O McGraynor, K Quinn, E Darcy.
Subs: N Devereux for N Donnelly, T Moran for M Stone, C O’Brien for Graynor, R Stokes for A Maher.

Limerick: D O’Sullivan; J Liston, S O’Dea, P Maher; K Ryan, I Corbett, G Brown; D Treacy, C Fahy; A Enright, B Donovan, J Naughton; P Nash, J Ryan, H Bourke.
Subs: R Child’s for G Brown, L Murphy for S O’Dea, M Donovan for J Alison, D Kelly for P Nash S de Brun A Enright.

Referee: S Mulhare (Laois).

Resilient Limerick score gritty Allianz Football League win away to Wicklow https://t.co/caSJdiIIPE

— LimerickLeader Sport (@LimkLeaderSport) February 26, 2022