Dubs' come to town for league tie with Limerick

IT DOESN’T get any easier for Limerick’s senior footballers as they welcome Dublin to the TUS Gaelic Grounds in Round 2 of the Allianz Football League Division 2 on Sunday.

Ray Dempsey’s men will still be smarting from their 0-16 to 0-4 loss to Derry in their first game of Division 2 last weekend. The Mayo native is well aware of the step up in quality that Limerick will be facing in the league.

“Derry are at a serious level,” he said after that defeat in Owenbeg. “They are probably the form team in the country at the moment. It is what it is. We are just happy in Limerick to be playing at this level.

“This is a big step up from Division 3. You can talk about it and you can look at it, but until you are out there in the heat of battle, you won’t really appreciate how intense it is, how quickly you can be closed down, how quick you have to do things with the ball and how quick it has to be moved.

“I thought the lads kept battling. There was big heart and guts in them and they kept working right until the very end. The lads applied themselves very well. You defend with your heart and you attack with your head.

“Maybe we have to look at the way we tackle with the heart because at times we coughed up some very soft ball. I know the players won’t be happy but you have to play in these games to really know about the intensity that is needed.”

Next up for Limerick is the visit of Dessie Farrell’s Dublin to the Ennis Road.The Dubs got their league off to a winning start with victory over Kildare at Croke Park but will be looking for further improvements in Limerick. The Treaty men will themselves be looking to take the learnings from that loss to Derry.

To that end, the return of Hughie Bourke was the big positive to come away from Owenbeg. The Adare man missed all of the McGrath Cup and will be key for Limerick’s league hopes. Sunday’s game at the TUS Gaelic Grounds has a 3pm throw-in.