PREVIEW | Limerick Ladies looking to secure knockout berth in Derry

Shine and co will feel they have unfinished business in the Spring having lost last year’s Division 4 decider to Offaly after winning each of their group games.

For the Limerick Senior Ladies football team, the permutations are simple this Sunday as they round out the group portion of the National League. Avoid defeat and they are guaranteed to finish in the top two of the standings regardless of what happens in the game between Leitrim and Wicklow. However, a loss to Derry could prove disastrous were Wicklow to defeat Leitrim.

Limerick are currently second in the standings, level on points with Wicklow following their entertaining round three clash that finished all square in the Bog Garden. One point back are Wicklow, who Limerick have already beaten, with Derry in fourth and ruled out of the reckoning.

Kilkenny prop up the table with four losses from four.

That means that if Wicklow were to beat Leitrim then they would be guaranteed to advance ahead of this weekend’s opponents. Were this to happen and Limerick lost, then Leitrim would also go through having a better scoring difference than the Shannonsiders (+67 v +30).

Yet judging from results thus far, Limerick appear to be in the driving seat against a Derry side that have only picked up points against Kilkenny thus far. They will have home advantage but already this year Limerick have earned victories in Wicklow and Kilkenny.

The latter came against an Intermediate Championship side while Leitrim will also feature in the second tier in the Summer. Limerick have been resigned to the Junior Championship for the past three seasons after suffering relegation in their return to Intermediate in 2019.

Still, Shine and co will feel they have unfinished business in the Spring having lost last year’s Division 4 decider to Offaly after winning each of their group games.

A result on Sunday will move them closer to returning to the final with the Division 4 semi-finals to be played later this month with April 16 pencilled in the for the final.

But for now, the focus will be on Owenbeg this Sunday afternoon at 1pm with the game being broadcast live by the LGFA.