Improving Limerick footballers face trip to Carlow

LIMERICK'S senior footballers are back in Tailteann Cup action on this Saturday afternoon when they make the trip to Netwatch Cullen Park to face Carlow.

Mark Fitzgerald's side come into the game on the back of a good performance, and more importantly, a 2-16 to 1-16 victory over Longford.

Limerick's first dip into the Tailteann Cup came ended up in a success for Fitzgerald and his players. The Kerry native will look to build on that showing against a Carlow side that also tasted victory last weekend.

There were plenty of positives for Limerick to take from that win over Paddy Christie's side at the TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday last with goals from Cathal Downes and Brian Donovan proving crucial.

The form of joint captain Donal O'Sullivan was also crucial, with the Monaleen netminder making some crucial saves in the victory.

Fitzgerald also used his bench to give Darragh Murray his first taste of senior action for the final 10 minutes. Limerick looked a real threat from an attacking standpoint against Longford with nine different players getting on the scoresheet.The performances of both Downes and Donovan were enough to see them make the Tailteann Cup team of the week.

Realistically, a win for Limerick against Carlow would see them progress from group three with a game to spare. Limerick will face Wicklow at a neutral venue in their final game of the group stage on the first weekend in June but Fitzgerald will be hoping that safe passage to the knockout stages will be secured long before that fixture.

They face a Carlow side that earned a 0-17 to 1-13 win over Wicklow in Aughrim at the weekend. A late Jonah Dunne point proved crucial for Niall Carew's side against a Wicklow side that had beaten them by eight points in the Munster Championship.

Darragh Foley with seven points and four from the boot of Ross Dunphy did most of the damage for a Carlow side that will certainly fancy their chances against Limerick.

The sides last met in the Allianz Football League back in 2020 with an Iain Corbett point from a penalty seeing Limerick to a 1-7 to 0-9 victory.

Limerick were three points down going into added time in that game but a Bob Childs goal and that Corbett point were enough to give them the victory on a miserable afternoon down in Carlow.

Corbett and Killian Ryan are close to a return for Limerick. The former could have been risked against Longford but Limerick opted not to do so given his struggles with the hamstring injury since the league game with Meath.

Limerick's game with Carlow at Netwatch Cullen Park has a 3pm throw-in this afternoon.