Limerick footballers fail to Laois in first league tie
Defeat for Limerick in Portlaoise in Allianz Football League
by Jerome O’Connell Limerick Leader Sport.

DEFEAT was Limerick’s lot in round one of the Allianz Football League this Saturday evening with Laois worthy 2-12 to 0-9 winners in Portlaoise.

Two second half goals powered the Division Four promotion favourites to the win in O’Moore Park.

Limerick used six new players in this game.

Limerick started with two debuts – Mark Connolly and Jim Liston in defence. In the second half Adare’s Limerick SFC winning captain Shane Doherty was introduced for his first senior competitive appearance, as was his club-mate Robbie Bourke, Na Piarsaigh’s Kieran Daly and Colm McSweeney of Gerald Griffins. It was a busy day for Bourke, who earlier in the day played rugby with UL Bohemian in their Division 1B win over Dolphin in UL.

Laois were 0-5 to 0-3 ahead at half time.

It was a half in which Limerick often had 13 men back behind the ball with Jamie Lee and Padraig Scanlon remaining in attack. All worked tirelessly in the half, in which Laois had the lions share of possession.

The home side in Portlaoise almost opened the contest with a goal but Donal O’Sullivan played a captain’s part to brilliantly touch a Daniel O’Reilly drive over the bar.

It was the 15th minute before Jamie Lee had Limerick’s first score but that left it just 0-2 to 0-1 to the home side.

Eoin Lowry and Gary Walsh (free) moved the men in blue and white 0-4 to 0-1 clear by the 27th minute but Limerick grew in confidence in the spell before half time and Jamie Lee had a superb point from under the stand before following with a pointed free.

The final say was a third pointed free from Walsh as Laois brought a two point interval lead into the break.

The first Laois goal came 10-minutes into the second half with Gary Walsh finding the net for a 1-6 to 0-4 lead.s

Points from Seamus O’Carroll, Jim Liston and Sean McSweeney (free) kept Limerick in touch and just the goal was between the teams with 15-minutes to play; 1-7 to 0-7.

But Limerick found just two points in the final 15-minutes – Kieran Daly and Sean O’Dea.

At the other end, Laois were 1-10 to 0-8 ahead when Paul Kingston had their second goal in the 69th minute.

Eoin Lowry put the icing on the win with two injury time points for Laois.

Up next for Limerick is the visit of Carlow to Newcastle West next Sunday (2.00).

SCORES: Limerick: Jamie Lee 0-4 (1free), Seamus O’Carroll, Jim Liston, Sean McSweeney (free), Kieran Daly and Sean O’Sea 0-1 each. Laois: Gary Walsh 1-6 (0-4frees), Paul Kingston 1-0, Eoin Lowry 0-4, Daniel O’Reilly 0-2.

LIMERICK: Donal O’Sullivan (Monaleen); Sean O’Dea (Kilteely-Dromkeen), Brian Fanning (Pallasgreen), David Connolly (Adare); Paul White (Rathkeale), Garrett Noonan (Dromcollogher-Broadford), Jim Liston (Gerald Griffins); Darragh Treacy (St Kierans), Cillian Fahy (Dromcollogher-Broadford); Daniel Daly (Fr Caseys), Peter Nash (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Danny Neville (Ballysteen); Tony McCarthy (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Padraig Scanlon (Glin), Jamie Lee (Newcastle West). Subs: Seamus O’Carroll (Castleknock, Dublin) for Padraig Scanlon (h-t), Shane Doherty (Adare) for Daniel Daly (41mins), Sean McSweeney (St Kierans) for Tony McCarthy (49mins), Robbie Bourke (Adare) for Peter Nash (54mins), Kieran Daly (Na Piarsaigh) for Jamie Lee (58mins), Colm McSweeney (Gerald Griffins) for Jim Liston (72mins).

LAOIS: Graham Brody; David Holland, Shane Nerney, Ruaidhri Fennell; Trevor Collins, Stephen Attride, Finbarr Crowley; John O’Loughlin, Daniel O’Reilly; Alan Farrell, Paul Kingston, Brian Glynn; Eoin Lowry, Gary Walsh, Aaron Dowling. Subs: Colm Begley for Stephen Attride, inj (5mins), Evan O’Carroll for Aaron Dowling (45mins), Gareth Dillon for Brian Glynn (58mins), Niall Donoher for Alan Farrell (58mins), Kieran Lillis for Trevor Collins (66mins), Jamie Farrell for Daniel O’Reilly (66mins).

REFEREE: Patrick Maguire (Longford).