Magnificient Limerick Defeat Meath ,in the Football Qualifiers
Posted by croom on July 19, 2008
Limerick 4-12 Meath 4-3
at The Limerick Gaelic Grounds in the All Ireland Qualifiers .
Johnny McCarthy (St.Kierans /Limerick) in flying form as the Shannonsiders demolish the Royals,Also in the photo Meath’s Joe Sheridan and Limerick’s Stephen Walsh.
This is the best performance i have ever witnessed of a Limerick Football team winning a match,that’s 40 years of been at matches,Limerick absolutely destoyed Meath (The Royal County or the Royals they are known to their supporters).Meath take their football seriously ,they have an impressive C.V and a large fan base. I could see this by the large numbers that made the long trip for a weekend in Limerick staying in the local Woodfield House Hotel and the Clarion Rooms ,in Meath football is their all .Meath have not a good record in the Qualifiers was this to be another one of those bad results,surely not for Colm Coyles men.
Simply ,this was a resounding victory for Limerick Football.From the moment Ian Ryan(3-7 on the night ) blasted a ball to the Meath net it was an awesome display of football from there on ,comparsions to the soccer team i support for the past 38 years Arsenal,who play total football Arsene Wenger style …..
Video; Photos of the Match.
In the Second half it was 3-9 to 0-3 ,then it was 4-11 to 0-3 was this for real i had to pinch myself and say to my 10 year old son “We are winning this by a mile ” .At last the frustration experienced by this team was paying dividends 20 points in the lead.
Limerick Supporter waving his flag to some of the Meath Supporters,the Banter was good and friendly.
against the aristocats of Gaelic Football home to past masters players like Ken Rennicks ,Jack Quinn to name a few .I watched these players as a kid growin up seeing them on the b/w Tv and the one channel to the commentary of the great Micheal O Hehir.How did we survive back then it’s multichannel land now. ..in the eighties we saw players of the calibre of Mick Lyons ,Bernard Flynn ,Colm O Rourke (his son came on as a sub late in the game)who could forget those epic replays v Dublin .Then it struck me Meath have Graham Geraghty playing out there today(he had trials with Arsenal to mention) a Meath legend,a class player in his prime very rarely out of the media due his match day sending off’’s.
Meath Scored 4 goals late in the Second half and this left every one on thinking “Oh No Limerick to lose again by a narrow maragin” but thankfully this did not happen.Meath fans had left early in the second half and who could blame them 20 points down,my friend working in the Woodfield House Hotel next to the the Gaelic Grounds later reported that the mobiles were busy as some fans began reporting about all these goals going in the margain was suddenly down to 9 points,Meath were in their ascendency but time ran ran out for them.Speaking after the match to Meath selector he felt they had a chance of catching Limerick as they had played the match at a blistering pace that no team could sustain for the full 70 minutes.They almost did but the lead was too great and the time ran out also.In added on time Limerick played posession football ,i could hear crowd ole but it was ,eeh ,eeh…..an invasion of the pitch ensued at the end of the match.It was like Limerick had won their All Ireland tonight so many happy faces ,flags waving .Pats on the backs of the players “Boy Mickey Ned” C’Mon Limerick,Go on Seanie Kiely the goalie.
The Limerick Team warming down with Mickey Ned O Sullivan after their resounding victory.
Limerick: Sean Kiely (Bruff), Diarmuid Carroll (St.Senans) Johnny McCarthy (St.Kierans), Shane Gallagher (Ballysteen), Padraig Browne (Fr.Caseys), Stephen Lavin (Adare) Pa Ranahan (Ballysteen), Jim O’Donovan (St.Bridgets), John Galvin (Croom) Stephen Kelly (Newcastlewest), James Ryan(Galbally), Seanie Buckley,(Dromcollogher/Broadford,Ger Collins (Milford)James Crowley(Monaleen) Ian Ryan (St.Senans)
Subs: Mike Jones,John Cooke,Kieran O Callaghan, Pat Ahern, Dermot Phelan, Stephen Walsh,John Marsh,Andrew Lane, Lorcan O’Dwyer, Eoin Keating, Micheal Reidy, Tom Collins, Gareth Noonan, Conal o’Cruali, Darragh McMahon.
Meath: Brendan Murphy,Cormac McGill, Darren Fay,Niall McKeigue,Seamus Kenny,Caoimhin King,Eoin Harrington, Mark Ward,Brian Meade,Alan Nestor,Cian Ward,Peadar Byrne,Stephen Bray, Joe Sheridan, Graham Geraghty.Subs:Michael Ahern,Chris O Connor,Brian Farrell,Nigel Crawford,Shane O Rourke,Graham Reilly,Terry Skelly,Shane McAnarney,Brian O Reilly,Damian Sheridan,Eoin Reilly,Anthony Moyles.
Well deserved to all associated with Limerick Football ….Let’s hope we are in for another mouth watering home tie in the next round when the draw is made.
Will it be Westmeath,Derry,Donegal,Down,Monaghan,Tyrone,Mayo,Kildare,Laois it will be difficult but this team has overcome a major hurdle tonight winning at last and playing excellent football with a great coach over them.
Football Qualifiers Results:
Tipperary 0-6 Westmeath 0-15, Kildare 1-16 Cavan 1-15,Louth 1-10 Tyrone 1-18
Donegal 3-11 Roscommon 1-9,Down 5-19 Offaly 2-10,Laois 1-10 Longford 0-11
