Saturday, April 24, 2010

If a team ever deserved silverware it's this bunch of footballers

IF ever a team deserved some silverware it's this current crop of Limerick senior footballers, but unfortunately success is never a given.


On Saturday (5pm) they enter Croke Park in search of a Division Four National Football League title.
It could very well be the first of two vital meetings against Waterford as Limerick await either Clare or Waterford in the Munster Championship semi-final on June 6.
But there will be little time for shadow boxing in Saturday's national final which is being televised live on TG4.
Limerick's rare appearance in Croke Park forms a double-header with the Division Three final between Antrim and Sligo at 7pm.
It will be Limerick football's first time in Croker since the 2003 Division Two NFL final defeat to Westmeath.
Mark O'Riordan, Conor Mullane, John Galvin, Stephen Kelly, Stephen Lavin and Conor Fitzgerald all played in that heart-breaking defeat and are still involved with county senior football panel.
O'Riordan, Mullane, Galvin, Fitzgerald and Stephen Lucey were all on the Limerick side that won a historic Munster under-21 title in 2000 when they beat Waterford in the final, but silverware has eluded them since.
Limerick did win McGrath Cups in 2001, '04 and '05, but everywhere else Limerick have encountered heartbreak - 2003 NFL final and the Munster finals of 2003, '04 and '09.
Ahead of Saturday's final Limerick are already assured of promotion which means that Limerick will play in Division Three next season alongside Cavan, Wexford, Louth, Offaly, Westmeath, Tipperary and Waterford. Manager Mickey Ned O'Sullivan and selectors Donie Buckley, Paddy Ivess and Maurice Horan used a total of 31 players in the campaign.
For the NFL final Limerick are without the injured Stephen Lavin and Johnny McCarthy while the experienced Shane Gallagher, Stephen Lucey and Stephen Kelly are all listed among the substitutes.
Gallagher started all eight league games, but was forced off in the game against Leitrim with a leg injury and his spot at centre-back goes to Padraig Browne who played most games at wing-forward.
The goalkeeping spot is handed to under-21 'keeper Brian Scanlon, who only made his senior debut in the final round game against Leitrim.
John Galvin is soldiering with the Limerick seniors since 1999 and himself and Jim O'Donovan will need to give Limerick a midfield platform as they have done throughout the league. Waterford do have Mick Aherne and Tom Prendergast in midfield, but the Limerick pair are among the best in the country.
At both ends of the field the scores will come from the respective full-forward lines.
Limerick's James Ryan has been play-marker supreme to date, with Ger Collins and Ian Ryan applying the finishing touches while John Owens will be looking to Liam O'Lionain and former hurler Gary Hurney to account for many of the Waterford scores.
The bookies make Limerick 2/5 favourites and if they arrive in Dublin in the right frame of mind success should be achieved just as it did back in 1896 when LImerick defeated Waterford in the Munster final en route to the last national football silverware.
Tickets are on sale from the Gaelic Grounds for Saturday evening's final.
Only the Hogan Stand will be open and tickets are €20 for adults, €10 for student/senior citizens and €5 for juveniles.
Iarnrod Eireann have also scheduled special trains for the game and advise early booking due to limited availability.

Limerick: Brian Scanlon; Mark O'Riordan, Conor Mullane, Andrew Lane; Diarmuid Carroll, Padraig Browne, Pa Ranahan; Jim O'Donovan, John Galvin; John Mullane, Cormac Joyce-Power, Seanie Buckley; Ger Collins, James Ryan, Ian Ryan.
Subs: Conor Ranahan, Shane Gallagher, Eoghan O'Connor, Conor Fitzgerald, John Cooke, Eoin Joy, Stephen Lucey, Stephen Kelly, Garrett Noonan.

Jerome O'Connell

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