Pa Ranahan | The good days are to be celebrated and winning in Antrim is always a good one

A 750km road trip began with my mother and brother last Friday afternoon. Herself and my father had made the same trek for Limerick’s last visit to the Belfast venue in 2016.

And as we pulled into Corrigan Park last Saturday afternoon, memories came flooding back. On that occasion – a 1^st Round Championship Qualifier – we were given little chance of causing an upset. And I must admit I had similar doubts coming up the M1 at the weekend.

Winning away from home is tough. Added to that the lengthy list of absentees for a variety of reasons and the hill becomes that much steeper. These battles though are as much a test of a groups mentality as it is their football ability. The game can be lost in the bus on the way to the ground.

Back then, I remember there was just a feeling of defiance in the air. From when we left the hotel until the final whistle. And this was very evident on Saturday. There was a real focus and determination from the whole Limerick travelling party from the moment they stepped on the pitch.

Limerick came out for their pre match warm up as “Sean South of Garryowen” was playing all around the venue. On a day when the weather was of the winterish variety, the music from the tannoy speakers helped lift the mood and set the scene.

And just like in 2016, Limerick flew out of the traps with two early goals. Given that they had done the same the week previous against Longford, I am sure Enda McGinley and Antrim would have spoken about this prior to the game.

The “one, two” on this occasion was provided in the shape of majors from Cian Sheahan and Peter Nash. The first followed a flowing team move that saw Limerick run at the Antrim defence, with a fisted finish applied by the attacking half back.

The second showed the variety that Limerick now possess. Darragh Treacy, as he did on so many occasions, carried through the heart of the Antrim midfield and delivered a ball to Hugh Bourke, who claimed the mark. Not settling for the point on offer, the Adare man looked inside to the full forward line to see what was on. The diminutive Peter Nash was on the same wavelength and won the incoming kick pass. He turned his man and finished confidently to the back of the net. Brilliant football all round.

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Limerick are now the top goal scorers in the National League with six goals. Armagh are next with four.

They do win games.

It was a real team effort. And that’s not just the usual cliché that you hear. Normally you can reel off a couple of names who stood out. You couldn’t do that as readily here. Because the overall standard was so good.

All bar 0-2 of the final 2-9 came from play. By halftime, six players had their names on the scoresheet. And all in different ways. Mickey Ned O’Sullivan used to say to us that “the ball was oxygen, and when you have it, you never feel tired.” Limerick moved the ball through the hands and limited their plays. Every player was benefitting. They were all getting a regular supply of oxygen. And were full of energy.

Out of possession, it was equally impressive. They looked solid once set up, while still being able to put pressure on the ball further out. The work rate required to do this cannot be overstated. And it helped Limerick force numerous turnovers in that opening period.

I am sure there were words at half time about how a similar position against Longford the week previously had been squandered. And despite Limerick not scoring again until the 60^th minute – one area that they will be looking to improve in moving forward – there was much more control of the game. Donal O’Sullivan did not have a save to make in this half.

And even when injuries came, the players off the bench slotted in seamlessly. Using their pace on the counterattack, Limerick were able to finish strongly. Just as they did against Longford.

This win was huge. It was the first time since 2007 (Fermanagh in Clones) that a Limerick Football team travelled to Ulster and came back with the two points on offer.

Aside from the historical context, it felt like a huge moment for this group. They have been evolving and improving year on year. Lads have been around long enough now that the conditioning and game sense is at a high level.

There is genuine competition in the panel now. Winning helps obviously. But Billy Lee has used twenty-five players in the opening two rounds of the league. Most counties wouldn’t use that many players over a whole league campaign!

And morale is high. You can often tell this by the actions of those on the bench while the game is on. It was noticeable in Belfast that every turnover or tackle or score was met with huge noise from the Limerick travelling party. They were involved in what was happening on the pitch. It all helps. It’s a great atmosphere to be involved in. This means a lot to people.

The good days are to be celebrated.

I said after the game in 2016 “What’s seldom is wonderful”. With a bit of extra support in future games, and the players continuing to produce positive displays, maybe it might not be as seldom.

Now that would be wonderful.