Judge enjoying Limerick’s run of form

Liam Togher talks to Jeffrey Judge as Limerick FC go ever closer to a return to the top flight of Irish club football.

Jeffrey Judge returned to Limerick FC earlier in the summer after a brief spell with Pike Rovers and, having scored in his previous two games for the Blues, the 23-year-old midfielder says it “feels great to be back”.

Judge scored the second of Limerick’s three goals in the come-from-behind win against Wexford Youths last week, as well as finding the net in the 4-1 defeat to Premier League champions Shamrock Rovers in the EA Sports Cup semi-finals a few days previously.

He has featured in eight consecutive games in all competitions for the club since returning against Waterford United at the beginning of July and, while satisfied with his current form, he is striving for more.

“It feels great to be back with Limerick FC. The side is going very well and there’s always competition for starting places in the team.

“I’m pleased with my form at the moment although I feel I could have scored against Longford [on August 3] as well. I think I’ve been playing reasonably well.”

Judge started out at Fairview Rangers before joining Mike Kerley’s Limerick 37, as the club was known at the time, in 2008.

He progressed to the first team squad for the 2010 season after current manager Pat Scully took the reins at Limerick FC and he featured regularly for the club in the last two seasons.

He left Jackman Park at the end of last season and signed for Pike Rovers before retracing his steps back to the Airtricity League side a few weeks ago.

“I went away to Australia for a couple of weeks last year and when I came back I went playing with Pike. It seemed like a bit of a mistake to leave Limerick but I made a decision at the time to play for Pike.”

With the Blues on course to achieve a long-awaited promotion to the Premier Division, Judge takes pride in representing a progressive football club.

“Limerick is a special club and I’m delighted to be a part of it. We’re top of the league and we’re hoping to move back into the Market’s Field soon.

“We’re going really well this season. We’re top of the table and we have another big game coming up against Finn Harps on Saturday. A win there would be a boost for us in terms of our league position.”

Limerick currently hold a six-point lead at the summit of Division One over nearest rivals Waterford United and Longford Town, but Judge is concentrating solely on the next challenge, namely the trip to Ballybofey this weekend.

“I’m not looking beyond Saturday. We’ll continue to take it game by game and at the end of the season whatever happens, happens.”