League defeats for both Limerick hurlers and footballers

Limerick suffered two narrow defeats at the weekend, in the Allianz National Football and Hurling Leagues.

On Saturday, the footballers conceded a 74th minute point to fall to promotion favourites Down, 1-14 to 0-18 at Mick Neville Park. Danny Neville’s goal, as well as points from Eliah Riordan and James Naughton looked to be enough for a draw, but the Ulster side made it two wins from two thanks to stoppage time heroics from Shane Annett.

Limerick 1-14 (1-3-8)
Down 0-18 (0-2-14)

Scorers for Down: D Guinness 0-5 (1tp); P Havern (1 tpf, 1f), C Doherty 0-3 each; P McPolin, S Annett 0-2; O Murdock, R McEvoy, J Doran 0-1 each.

Limerick: J Alfred; J Hassett, C McSweeney, M McCarthy; B Coleman, K Ryan, D Buckley; Jack McCarthy, P Maher; R O’Riordan, D Neville. S Clancy, J Naughton; R Childs, A Meade.

Subs: R O’Brien for Meade (half-time); S Cross for J McCarthy (56); O Collins for McSweeney (61); B Carr for Maher (69).

Down: R Burns; P Fegan, P Laverty, B O’Hagan; P McPolin, R Magill, C Rogers; O Murdock (C), R McEvoy; D Guinness, C Doherty, S Annett; A Crimmins, P Havern, J McGeough.

Subs: J Doran for O’Hagan (33); D Scullion for Crimmins (44); T Close for McEvoy (53); P Brooks for Rogers (57); G McKibben for McGeough (69).

Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).

Meanwhile on Sunday, it took a Shane Bennett penalty to put some daylight between Waterford and Limerick, as the hosts held out for a 1-21 to 0-20 victory. Aidan O’Connor top scored for John Kiely’s men, who also had 0-4 from play from the stick of Shane O’Brien.

Waterford 1-21
Limerick 0-20

Waterford: B Nolan (0-2; 2f); M Power, C Prunty (Capt), C Keane; B Lynch (0-1), I Daly, S Bennett (1-2; 1-0 pen); M Fitzgerald, D Lyons; C Lyons (0-1), J Barron (0-1), R Halloran (0-11; 10f, 1 ’65); P Curran, M Kiely, C Treen (0-3).

Subs: C Daly for Prunty (inj – 55); S-J Power for Curran (59); S Mackey for Treen (68).

Limerick: N Quaid; M Fitzgerald, S Finn, B Nash; D Byrnes (0-3; 0-2f), W O’Donoghue, C Coughlan; A English, D O’Donovan; G Hegarty (0-3), C Lynch (Capt) (0-1), T Morrissey; D Ó Dálaigh (0-1), S O’Brien (0-4), A O’Connor (0-8; 7f).

Subs: E Hurley for O’Donovan (temp 28-30); E Hurley for English (inj – 34); H Flanagan for O Dálaigh (57); P O’Donovan for Morrissey (57); J Fitzgerald for D O’Donovan (63); O O’Farrell for O’Brien (63).

Black Card: M Fitzgerald (43)

Referee: Colm Lyons (Cork)