PREVIEW | Limerick seek first Division 2 win in dead rubber with Clare

It has been a hugely disappointing campaign for both who will use the game as a warm up for the Munster Championship next month.

There will be nothing but pride on the line for Limerick and Clare this Sunday when they meet in the final round of the National Football League in Ennis.

Results in the penultimate round mean both are relegated prior to throw in with just three points between them thus far in the second tier.

After losing to Derry early in the afternoon, Clare needed Limerick to beat Kildare to bring their survival hopes to the final round but the defeat relegated both Munster sides.

It is an instant relegation for Limerick while it ends Clare’s seven-year stint in Division 2, and is a first relegation for the Banner under Colm Collins.

Clare have dominated the recent meetings between the teams with five successive wins from 2012 to 2018. All of those came in the championship with Limerick ending a thirteen-year wait for a championship victory over the Banner last April in this weekend’s venue.

James Naughton scored the decisive penalty on that occasion as Limerick won the first ever senior football championship penalty shoot out.

The previous meeting of the neighbours in the league came back in the third round of Division 3 in 2016. Clare were 1-14 to 0-11 winners in the Newcastle West meeting as they went on to seal promotion while Limerick were relegated. Limerick were double scores winners the previous year in Division 3.

It has been a hugely disappointing campaign for both who will use the game as a warm up for the Munster Championship where they could be paired in a Munster semi-final. Limerick are already into the last four having reached last year’s final and will play one of Clare or Cork who face off in the quarters. Both were comfortably beaten by the Rebels in the league this year.

Clare’s sole league win came all the back in round one where they were one-point winners over high-flying Louth. They lost by four to Meath in the next round before throwing away a six-point lead late on against Kildare. They also let a late advantage slip against the Dubs with comprehensive defeats to Cork and Derry following since.

Limerick have looked better in recent weeks, giving their best performance in the round five draw with Meath but it was too little too late as Kildare sealed their fate in an error-ridden contest.

Both are likely to give chances to fringe players but a sixth loss out of seven could prove detrimental to either’s championship hopes with the duo destined for the Tailteann Cup where they will be fancied.

Drawing first blood on Sunday could be key in the long run.

Limerick travel to Cusack Park to take on Clare in the final round of the 2023 National Football League on Sunday March 26 at 2pm.

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