“You don’t know when your season can turn” | Ray Dempsey hoping Limerick take Division Two learnings to Pairc Ui Chaoimh

The Shannonsiders can draw level on points with the Rebels in Division 2 should they earn victory in Pairc Ui Chaoimh this Sunday.

Limerick travel to Pairc Ui Chaoimh this Sunday needing a win to kickstart their Division 3 National Football League campaign. The Shannonsiders are pointless in their return to the second tier losing to Derry, Dublin and Louth.

The opening pair of defeats were to be expected against sides that reached last year’s All-Ireland semi-finals. However, the loss to Louth, who were promoted with Limerick last year, will have stung as they conceded seven without reply either side of the half.

On his first appearance of the year, Brian Donovan found the net while newcomer Cathal Downes did kick Limerick within one with five to play.

But Louth held out for victory to distance themselves from Limerick in the table as they stand alone with zero points.

Their opponents this Sunday, Cork, were also defeated at the weekend but the Rebels will take huge solace from the fact that they should have left Pairc Ui Chaoimh with a deserved draw against Dublin.

John Cleary’s side were very unlucky to lose Ian Maguire early in the second half but fought valiantly and could have nicked the victory were it not for some wayward shooting late on.

Nonetheless, Limerick manager Ray Dempsey is under no illusion of the task at hand as things “don’t get any easier.” Yet the Mayo native is remaining positive as Limerick will look to take the learnings of the first three rounds to Pairc Ui Chaoimh.

“It doesn’t get any easier but this is what the players have trained for and are the games they want to play in against high quality traditional counties and the players wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You don’t know when your season can turn. The League can be a real learning and hardening process for Limerick football, you just don’t know what the championship will be.

“We won’t get too despondent, the result didn’t go our way and that’s always hard to take.”

Limerick will hope to come away with something from the game prior to their return to the TUS Gaelic Grounds where they host Kildare and Meath in successive games.

And results elsewhere this weekend could work in Limerick’s favour with front runners Dublin and Derry against Clare and Kildare respectively, both of whom lie on just two points. Meath could move clear of the pack with a win over Louth and should Limerick beat Cork there could be a scenario where five teams are on two points heading into the fifth round.

Rest assured, Limerick won’t be concerned about results elsewhere until their business in Cork is finished but a result against the Rebels could be the momentum swing that turns their season.