Fermanagh test for Limerick ladies footballers in All-Ireland semi-final

LIMERICK'S ladies footballers will look to reach the TG4 All-Ireland final on Saturday when they face off against Fermanagh in the semi-final at Pearse Park, Longford.

Graham Shine's side face the same opposition that knocked them out at the same stage last year and will be underdogs heading into the game.

Limerick have reached the semi-final after victories over Kilkenny and Sligo but finished second in the table after a loss to Down in their last game. Down play Carlow in the other semi-final on Sunday.

Despite the defeat to Down, Shine will be confident that his group of players will be able to see off a Fermanagh outfit that saw off Carlow, London and Derry to top their group.

Blaithin Bogue has been the star turn for Fermanagh this season from full forward. Bogue is deadly in front of goal and is a highly capable free taker as well. She scored 1-5 in their win over Derry.

Dani Maguire has also been a big asset for James Daly's side, as have experienced duo of Shannon McQuade and Breda Bannon.

Eimear Smyth did a lot of the damage when the teams met in the semi-final in 2022, scoring 3-7 but she has not been available to Daly this year after opting out of the panel before the start of the league.

Limerick have plenty of fire power of their own in the form of Cathy Mee, Iris Kenneally and Amy Ryan. The latter didn't feature much during the teams' run to the league semi-final but has been a big asset for Shine in the championship.

Roisin Ambrose has also been in fine form throughout 2023, while having Karen O'Leary and Deborah Murphy available more frequently this year has been a big bonus. Both played cameo roles when Limerick beat Fermanagh in the 2022 league semi-final.

“There is a great buzz and morale in the camp,” Shine told Leader Sport recently. “We have had some great days this year. Came up against Antrim, we probably just didn't perform.

“Orlaigh (Prenter) performed that day and kicked outrageous scores. The girls showed what they could do in the second half, outscoring Antrim by seven points.

“We were a bit deflated after that but the girls came in on Wednesday night after it for training and they put in a ferocious session. That set in motion straight away our championship focus. The girls are brilliant. I couldn't ask no more from them. They are putting ferocious service for Limerick.”

The game with Fermanagh in Longford on Saturday has a 2pm start time and will be streamed live by the LGFA.