Limerick FC 2016 Season

osarusan

Cabinteely 0-2 Limerick

(Tracy, McSweeney)


Limerick got back to First Division football tonight with a comfortable win over Cabinteely.

After an awful opening fifteen minutes in which our defensive complacency should have cost us at least two goals, we sorted ourselves out and took the lead through a Shane Tracy freekick that he rolled past the wall and into the bottom corner while the keeper stood motionless.

Tracy was replaced by McSweeney at halftime and he contributed the only memorable moment of the half, with a brilliant chip of the keeper from about 30 yards when there seemed to be nothing on.

After that the game just petered out, with Cabinteely offering no threat whatsoever and Limerick uninterested in adding to their lead.

Next game: home to UCD, Saturday July 2nd.

osarusan

Goals from the Cabinteely game:

osarusan

Limerick 4-3 UCD

(Mulhall 2, Kenny (penalty), Greene)


Limerick ground out a victory tonight over a game UCD side.

We started brightly and after Kenny forced a good save from the keeper, Mulhall headed in from the corner, all after just 4 minutes. Things looked good, but only 5 minutes later a sliced clearance left a UCD player in on goal, and Robbie Williams' attempted tackle resulted in a red card and a penalty which was converted. Worse was to follow when we gave the ball away on the edge of our area and a quick pass sent their striker in to slide the ball past Hall and into the bottom corner. 2-1 down at half-time.

In the second half we got back into it just 5 minutes in when Mulhall dribbled past a defender near the endline inside the box. The defender pushed him over for a penalty and a scandalously harsh straight red card.Kenny calmly converted the penalty.

10 minutes later, Sean Russell then got to the endline and fired in a low cross to the near post. Both the keeper and Mulhall went for it and both ended up on the ground, with the ball underneath them. Mulhall as on his feet first to squeeze the ball over the line.

We were really pressing and in total control and made it 4 after 68 minutes when a cross from the right went all the way across the goal and Aaron Greene fired home a low shot under the keeper.

There was still plenty of time for us to make it difficult for ourselves, and when Paudie O'Conor needlessly lunged in on an attacker, UCD got, and scored, their second penalty of the night.

They pressed but we held on without too many scares for the win and 3 points, which keeps us 17 points clear at the top of the table.

Next game: away to Waterford, Friday July 8th.

washman3

Excellent report. well done.
What was the attendance roughly.?

osarusan

washman3 wrote: »

Excellent report. well done.
What was the attendance roughly.?

It was announced, but I've forgotten. Eight hundred and something. Definitely under 900. 872 maybe?

EDIT: 847.

Irish_rat

It was a very entertaining game if not lacking a bit of quality at times. The ref made some really dubious decisions, both penalties were never red cards.

Kouogun should have been the only player receiving a red for a second bookable offence near the end.

O'Neill went off with what looked like a very bad injury, hope it's a speedy recovery for him and UCD.

Overall Limerick showed real character after going 2-1 down with 10 men to go and win it through.

Irish_rat

1-1 with 50 minutes gone against Waterford United

Jofspring

Finished Waterford 1-5 Limerick

osarusan

Waterford 1-5 Limerick

(Mulhall, Greene x2, Kenny, Coughlan)

A nervy first half was followed by a decent second half in Waterford tonight, on perhaps the worst pitch ever seen anywhere.

Limerick started well and Chris Mulhall beat the keeper to an excellent Russell cross for an early lead. We slowed down a lot after that and Waterford came back into it, and had a couple of chances before they got an equaliser when a long-range shot took a slight deflection and dipped over Hall and just under the crossbar.

In the second we didn't show much urgency but were the better team, and went back in front when a deft pass from McSweeney sent Greene in, and he held off a defender and rounded the keeper before firing into the roof of the net.

Waterford tried to get back into it but didn't create much, and we went 3-1 up when Stephen Kenny, who had an excellent second half, played Greene in, and he put a composed finish past the keeper. Kenny tried to do the same a few minutes later, but a defender ended up playing it back to him, and he skipped past a challenge before firing home himself.

Late on Garbhan Coughlan got in on the act, finding space in the box to finish a square pass from the right hand side of the area.

Next game: Home versus Cobh, Saturday July 6th.

osarusan

The goals from last night. It looks like there was no deflection on the Waterford goal, just a shot that held up in the strong wind.

osarusan

Limerick 2-0 Cobh Ramblers

(Lynch, Mulhall)


We started brightly and pressed for most of the first half. It took 25 minutes for us to go ahead, Lee Lynch skipping past two defenders and blasting home from about 20 yards, although the keeper should have got a stronger hand on it.

It was two when Sean Kelly floated a cross into the box and Chris Mulhall powered a header past the keeper. 2-0 at the break.

In the second half, we looked good in attack until the final ball - it was always a yard too far in front or behind, the wrong decision was made, or the cutback never found anybody. On another night we might have had another 2 or 3 in the second half, but on another night we might have conceded a couple also. We were very sloppy indeed in the last 20 minutes, and if Cobh had had any kind of striker, he'd have bagged a couple, but they missed some easy chances.

Another piece of good news was the return of Shane Duggan after a few weeks out with injury.

Next game: Away to Athlone, Friday July 22nd.

A_Sober_Paddy

osarusan wrote: »

Limerick 2-0 Cobh Ramblers

(Lynch, Mulhall)


We started brightly and pressed for most of the first half. It took 25 minutes for us to go ahead, Lee Lynch skipping past two defenders and blasting home from about 20 yards, although the keeper should have got a stronger hand on it.

It was two when Sean Kelly floated a cross into the box and Chris Mulhall powered a header past the keeper. 2-0 at the break.

In the second half, we looked good in attack until the final ball - it was always a yard too far in front or behind, the wrong decision was made, or the cutback never found anybody. On another night we might have had another 2 or 3 in the second half, but on another night we might have conceded a couple also. We were very sloppy indeed in the last 20 minutes, and if Cobh had had any kind of striker, he'd have bagged a couple, but they missed some easy chances.

Another piece of good news was the return of Shane Duggan after a few weeks out with injury.

Next game: Away to Athlone, Friday July 22nd.

It was terrible in the second, it was like a group of mates having a kick about, it was so sloppy and lazy at times, if we start doing that for the rest of the year we will lose a game

Jofspring

I reckon we will lose at some stage anyway. Be it through complacency or resting players before a big cup game. We have Derry on the August weekend in the league cup semi-final but Shels a few days before. Wouldn't be surprised to see a few rested for the Shels game.

cnoc

Anyone at the game last night know about a young lad who lost part of his finger in a seat?

Jofspring

cnoc wrote: »

Anyone at the game last night know about a young lad who lost part of his finger in a seat?

As far as I know they found the tip of his finger, got it on ice and it was stitched back on. Horrible thing to happen. Wasn't at the game but heard it was pretty horrific.

johnnyryan89

A_Sober_Paddy wrote: »

It was terrible in the second, it was like a group of mates having a kick about, it was so sloppy and lazy at times, if we start doing that for the rest of the year we will lose a game

Think at this stage the lads are just going through the motions and probably a bit bored really. Hopefully the league is wrapped up within the next two weeks and give some of the younger lads a bit of first team experience.

A_Sober_Paddy

Jofspring wrote: »

I reckon we will lose at some stage anyway. Be it through complacency or resting players before a big cup game. We have Derry on the August weekend in the league cup semi-final but Shels a few days before. Wouldn't be surprised to see a few rested for the Shels game.

Let's just say I overheard a phone conversation yesterday from a member of the Limerick staff, who was talking about the team to face shels, saying Duggan would probably play and a few of the 19's

osarusan

Athlone 0-2 Limerick

(Greene, Williams)

Limerick rarely got out of first gear tonight in Athlone, but still had a fairly comfortable victory. We started well enough and our pressing meant Athlone created nothing. We went ahead when a super Lee Lynch ball over the defence allowed Greene in on goal and he took his time before volleying past the keeper.

We were utterly dominant at the point, but completely took our foot off the gas and the final 20 minutes of the first half was woeful stuff.

In the second half Athlone had more purpose, and could have equalised when we lost the ball in defence, and seeing that Freddy Hall was waaaay off his line as usual, an Athlone player tried to lob him and didn't miss by much. The same thing happened again about 5 minutes later, except this time Hall had to make a very good save, palming the ball onto the post and back into play.

That woke us up a bit and we got a bit less lazy, and got a second when Robbie Williams arrived at the back post to head in a corner. From then on the game was pretty pedestrian until the end.

3 more points, and the title is just a few games away.

Next game: Home versus Shelbourne, Saturday July 30th.

osarusan

Limerick 2-0 Shelbourne

(Duggan, Mulhall)

It was a third 2-0 win in a row tonight, but a much better performance than the previous games. Limerick were focused right from the start, and dominated the first half, creating plenty of chances. Shels were limited to long-range shots, only one of which troubled Hall. We hit the post twice, and one of those came out for Kenny to fire back at goal, with only a defender on the line keeping it out. We went ahead when a ball was cleared out of the area, and Duggan's mis-control luckily wrongfooted the defender, and set him up to fire a shot across the keeper and into the bottom right corner.

Early in the second half we made it 2-0 when Sean Russell sent over a lovely cross which found Mulhall in acres of space at the far post, and he headed home easily. Unlike recent games where we were ahead, we kept up the pressure, and it was great to see John O'Flynn come on later in the game. We were still creating chances and had two goals disallowed for offside in the second half, as well as some close misses.

Shels to their credit kept an attacking presence and created a few chances of their own, but even when Limerick gave away a penalty in injury time, Freddy Hall ensured the night ended with a cheer by saving a weak penalty low to his left - which was literally the last kick of the game.

The man of the match award was presented to Duggan by celebrity guest Michael Essien, formerly of Chelsea and now of Panathinaikos. He is in town to promote his football academy, according to something I overheard. I wonder what he made of it all. Limerick fans singing 'We'll sign who we want, Michael Essien, we'll sign who we want.'

Next game: Away to Derry in the league cup quarter final on Monday August 1st.

Jofspring

For those interested:

Live 95fm have live coverage of Derry City vs Limerick FC in the League Cup Semi-final. Starting now.

AlanOB

Also on BBC Radio Foyle, for those who desire an alternative.

washman3

Up 1-0 at half time, cracking first half.
Excellent commentary on 95FM.
On a downside, had 3/4 yellow carded so far.
Will do well to hold out for a win.

Irish_rat

Cmon Limerick. 20 mins to go. Hall with a great save just now.

osarusan

League Cup semi-final: Derry 0-1 Limerick

(Kenny)

Limerick qualified for the League Cup final tonight with an amazing away win in Derry.

I wasn't at it and was following on Limerick 95. We took an early lead when Stephen Kenny finished after a Shane Tracy pass, and then had to defend for long periods, but sounded dangerous on the break too.

Freddy Hall made some special saves and our defence held solid against a premier division attack that seemed to run out of ideas. Amazing stuff, amazing. Bit of a pitch invasion by what sounds like a substantial away crowd too.

We will play St. Pats or Shamrock Rovers in the final, not sure where or when yet (the date is probably decided, but I don't know it).

Jofspring

September 17th for the Final, most likely the Markets Field.

Rovers vs Pats next Monday evening in the other semi-final.

E.Scifo

Cracking game. Derry's back 4 were very slow and we got at them at will. Greene was in on goal after a couple of mins making the keeper make a fine save before Kenny scored at the back post. We were well on top in opening 20 mins.

In the second half Greene somehow saw his shot pushed onto the bar and we had a few chances to extend the lead. Freddie made 2 fantastic saves while Derry had 3 or4 free headers from inside 10 yards which all went straight into Freddie's hands.

Comfortable in the end and delight for around 150 who travelled. Around 5 of the blue army got onto the pitch but quickly got back off when they didn't know what to do. Brandywell is such a ****hole.

osarusan

Highlights from Derry game. A couple of cracking saves in there.

somespud

Limerick still unbeaten with another last minute goal 3-3 it finished/

Irish_rat

Phew!

osarusan

Drogheda 3-3 Limerick

(O'Conor, Lynch, Greene)

Another late escape against Drogheda tonight to keep our unbeaten run alive. We were just awful in the first 30 minutes and gave the ball away constantly. One of those lead to Drogheda's opener, with a striker capitalising on an underhit pass across the defence to go one on one with Hall and score from the edge of the area. We could have conceded another 2 or 3 and were fortunate to go in at half-time only one down.

Mulhall for Kenny and Russell for Tracy at half-time showed that the manager wanted to stay unbeaten, but it was Drogheda who scored again, with a winger showing bit of trickery to get past Kelly and the come in along the endline, before cutting back for a teammate to finish low past Hall.

That stung Limerick into action, and after Lynch hit the post, O'Conor was fastest to react and smashed the rebound past the keeper. This might have given us more confidence, but it was Drogheda who scored again. Limerick gave it away cheaply, and after a smart one-two on the edge of the box, their striker was in to fire high past Hall.

Things looked bleak, but we were in attack mode, and pulled one back when a Mulhall cutback was sidefooted home by Lynch from about 16 yards out. There was still time left, but as crosses weren't finding anybody, and shots were being blocked, and cutbacks were being intercepted, it looked like we were going to lose out unbeaten record. Drogheda wasted a great chance to seal it in the final minutes, before we forced one final corner. Even Hall was in the Drogheda penalty area, but when Russell swung a corner into the 6-yard box, it was Greene who got highest of a gang of players to head home. Massive relief and massive celebrations from the away fans, and the final whistle went just seconds later.

Still 20 points clear of Drogheda, who have been overtaken in 2nd place by UCD, who are now 19 behind. This means we can't mathematically clinch the league next weekend (not that it's in any doubt).

Next game: home versus Cabinteely, Saturday August 13th, 2pm.