John Ryan “The Scoreboard Doesn’t Lie” After Drop Down to Junior

A poor championship campiagn for the Limerick ladies footballers came to an abysmal conclusion yesterday as they were relegated back to Junior after just a maiden season in the Intermediate Ranks.

After three losses from three in the group stages, Limerick faced Laois yesterday in a relegation play-off where the Leinster side proved far too strong winning out 3-21 to 3-5.

For Ryan, the loss came after they failed to build on a positive opening period.

“The scoreboard doesn’t lie.”

“We got a great start and it looked as though we would take the game to Laois. But just before half-time we got a sin-bin and we just fell apart after that.”

Limerick’s year started brightly as they reached the semi-finals of the National League.

However, defeat was to be their lot and Ryan says his side failed to regroup after the disappointment of missing out on promotion.

“For the All-Ireland final last year we peaked and I though that this group of players would be able to compete in anyone’s company.

“But, I don’t think we regained from the National League semi-final this year. That was our target, getting out of Division 4 of the National League but that didn’t happen.”

“We found it hard to regroup after that game and come back to where we were from that day on.”

After comprehensively winning the Junior Championship last September and earning promotion to Intermediate, Limerick will once again be in the bottom tier of the championship for 2020.

Ryan insists everyone must come together to ensure Limerick can return to the second tier and push on for the future.

“It’s not a nice place to be, comparing the highs of 2018 to the lows of 2019, but that’s sport and that’s why people play.

“Everyone should sit back over the next couple of months and look at the whole structure, the whole club scene, everything and see where we go from there.”

“But look we’re back down Junior again and its just to restart again.”

“There is players in the county that we should be looking at. Maybe start afresh again.

Build a team again and compete. Try and get out of Divsion 4 and then after that is progressing to do well.

Winning the Junior championship so you have a panel of players to compete at Intermediate level.”