Do or die for Limerick footballers in Qualifiers

Billy Lee and his Limerick side welcome Wexford to the Gaelic Grounds this Saturday knowing a loss will put end to a season that promised much. The round 1B clash throws in at 3pm.

These sides have previous this year already as Wexford halted Limericks promotion hopes on the opening day of the League. In Wexford Innovate Park the home side ran out 0-14 to 1-8 winners and would go on to win promotion to Division 3. However, Billy Lee will look to that game and take solace from the fact that Limerick had chances to win it. Furthermore, Limerick finished the League strong with four wins from four.

In the Munster championship Limerick never got going against a fancied Clare side, yet were only beaten by a point, 1-13 to 1-12 in Ennis. Wexford were also knocked out of their provincial championship at the first attempt as Carlow ran out convincing winners over the Model County, 2-17 to 2-13.

Speaking to Sporting Limerick, the Weekly Observer’s Matt O’Callaghan feels that Limerick are more than capable of progressing further into the summer.

“I think Limerick are in with a right good shout at this”

Continuing on from this, O’Callaghan looks at Limerick as the form team heading into this Qualifier fixture.

“If you look at it, alright Wexford got promoted, they will be playing in Division 3 next year, they won the opening game of the League when they met in Wexford Park, but you would have to say that Limerick have been the more impressive of the two sides since.”

“They wont fancy coming to Limerick. Limerick have a decent record in the Qualifiers and a decent record in the Gaelic Grounds in the Qualifiers, so its not a given that Wexford are going to win this one.”

It will be a battle of styles in the Gaelic Grounds as Limerick will look to attack under the tutelage of Billy Lee, something which has been severely lacking in Limerick football over the past couple of years. Wexford however, will also look to flood back and hit Limerick on the counter attack.

“Wexford will tend to get a lot of people behind the ball, so its how Limerick respond to that and how Limerick cope with that, i think that is going to be the key.”

He finished on an optimistic note citing the quality and pace of some of Limerick’s forwards saying,

“I think they can just about do it.”