Fitzgerald's Limerick reign begins with Allianz Footall League visit of Kildare

LIMERICK'S senior footballers face Kildare in their penultimate Allianz Football League Division 2 on Sunday next at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

A positive result is needed if Limerick are to retain any hope of staying in the division for a second successive year. After the Kildare game, Limerick make the trip to Ennis where they face Clare in their final group fixture.

Limerick go into this Sunday's fixture against the Lilywhites on the back of the resignation of manager Ray Dempsey last week.

The Mayoman only took charge of the Limerick senior footballers last October and the team had a positive McGrath Cup campaign that saw them reach the decider against Cork. The Rebels earning a six-point win in Mallow.

However, the league campaign was a different story for Dempsey and his backroom team. They began with a 12-point defeat to Derry and followed that up with a home loss to Dublin.

They were edged out by Louth in their next game and then fell to a 24-point loss to Cork in their next league game. That seems to be where things came to a head between the players and some of Dempsey's management team.

Limerick produced an excellent performance in their last game to draw with Meath but that was the beginning of the end for Dempsey.

Amid reports of player unrest due to coaching issues and man-management problems, Dempsey's resignation was confirmed last Friday.

A member of Dempsey's management team, Mark Fitzgerald, has since taken over on an interim basis for the rest of the 2023 season.

Fitzgerald, a former minor selector with his native Kerry, was a coach under Dempsey and now has the task of preparing Limerick for the rest of the league and for the 2023 Munster Senior Football Championship. Limerick trio Mike Downey, John Chawke and Eoin Joy have also remained with Fitzgerald.

Limerick face a Kildare side in game two of an attractive double header at the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. Kildare have just two points from their five games to date in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League.