Limerick Ladies lose out to Wexford in Lidl National Football League:
By John Keogh Limerick Leader Sport
LIMERICK were handed their second defeat of the 2025 Lidl Ladies National Football League after going down on a 1-12 to 1-6 scoreline to Wexford in their Division 3 clash at Mick Neville Park in Rathkeale on Sunday afternoon.
The home side were one-point to the good at half time thanks to Iris Kenneally’s goal from the penalty spot but were second best after the break in this Round 2 contest.
Limerick only managed two points in the second half and were unable to stop a rampant Wexford outfit from claiming the league points on offer.
Next up for Limerick is a trip to Offaly for their third game of the league. That game takes place next Sunday in Edenderry.
It was a tight opening 10 minutes with neither side able to find a path to goal with Wexford eventually hitting the target thanks to Catriona Murray.
Limerick were soon back on level terms through Iris Kenneally and the same player but her side in front with a fine score moments later.
An Aoife Fortune free squared the game up for a second time, before Chloe Fox gave Wexford the lead again on 15 minutes.
Defences were on top for large periods of the first half with both attacks struggling to find a pathway to goal.
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However, Limerick did manage to break through the away rear guard when Rebecca Delee was fouled inside the large parallelogram and was awarded a penalty.
Kenneally stepped up to the mark for the penalty and went straight down the middle for the goal that put Limerick 1-2 to 0-3 ahead at half time.
Limerick would have been hoping for a better third quarter than the one produced last week against Down but it was a case of Déjà vu for joint managers Sean Kiely and Mike Quilligan.
Caoilfhionn Ni Nuallain opened the second half scoring and then Limerick were hit by an Ailish Neville goal and Wexford never looked back.
Ni Nuallain made it 1-2 without reply at the beginning of the half, before Murphy stemmed the tide with a free.
Kenneally followed up with her fourth of the game as they cut the gap to one but Limerick were unable to score again for another 19 minutes and as a result, fell to a second league loss on the bounce.
SCORERS: Limerick: Iris Kenneally 1-4 (1-0 pen), Deborah Murphy 0-2 (1f); Wexford: Ailish Neville 1-1, Chloe Fox and Caoilfhionn Ni Nuallain (3f) 0-3 each, Catriona Murray 0-2, Aoife Fortune (1f), Aoife Tormey and Ciara Banville 0-1 each.
LIMERICK: Sophie Hennessy (Old Mill); Sarah Dillon (Pallasgreen), Yvonne Lee (Monagea), Roisin Browne (Monagea); Meadbh McNamara (St Ailbes), Lucy O’Brien (Feohanagh-Castlemahon), Grace Lee (Monagea); Karen O’Leary (Monagea), Orla Ryan (St Ailbes); Ellie Woulfe (Monagea), Deborah Murphy (Monagea), Roisin Ambrose (Old Mill); Andrea O’Sullivan (Ballylanders), Rebecca Delee (Feohanagh-Casltemahon), Iris Kenneally (Old Mill). Subs: Cathy Mee (Ballylanders) for Browne (38 mins), Grace Mullane (Monagea) for Ryan (42 mins), Shauna Doellkan (Murroe-Boher) for Grace Lee (42 mins), Kate Kennedy (St Ailbes) for Woulfe (49 mins), Georgia Keane (St Ailbes) for Delee (49 mins), Caoimhe Macnamara for O’Sullivan (51 mins).
WEXFORD: Siobhan Clarke; Sadbh McCarthy, Maria Byrne, Aoife Tormey; Ciara Banville, Aisling Halligan, Katie English; Clare Donnelly, Bebhinn McDonald; Amelia Furlong, Catrionay Murray, Chloe Fox; Ailish Neville, Caoilfhionn Ni Nuallain, Aoife Fortune. Subs: Roisin Murphy for Furlong (17 mins), Grace Donovan for Fortune (44 mins), Aoife Cullen for McDonald (56 mins), Emer Hunt Ni Nuallain (56 mins).
REFEREE: Conor McCarthy (Cork).