Impressive Limerick advance to Tailteann Cup quarter-final after win over Westmeath

“Worked hard against the wind in the first half and dug deep to close it out, just like this year's league final in Croke Park. We've found that bit of ruthlessness now. We know how to win games.” Soaking in the satisfaction of a job well done, manager Jimmy Lee saluted his Limerick senior footballers as they tore up the form book on Saturday to get the better of Tailteann Cup favourites Westmeath in their final Group Three tie with a nail-biting win in Portlaoise.

Not only does the result send Lee's charges straight into the quarter-finals of the game's second most prestigious competition but it marks the county's first ever victory against a side that had the upper hand on them three times through the All-Ireland back door, beat them once in a Division Two league final and relegated them twice from Division Three over four decades of competition between the sides. And even if was by the narrowest of margins at the end of a seesaw contest, they were always setting the agenda of the contest and, apart from a frantic Westmeath response in the closing quarter, showed a composure and a sense of belief.

James Naughton finally delivered after five scoreless minutes which provoked the Leinster men to make use of the blustery wind at their backs and grab the lead through Luke Loughlin and Kevin O'Sullivan. However, Naughton replied immediately with an equalising free and, after his follow-up from play was met by Nigel Harte, he then restored his side's lead after Emmett Rigter equalised.

Going into the second quarter, Westmeath started to inject pace in their movements against a Limerick defence that had been containing them up to then and, after they drew level through Loughlin and Sam McCartan, Ray Connellan followed up with a two-pointer and Lorcan Dolan then added another before Naughton replied off a breakaway from deep but Limerick were relieved to see a scramble inside the square amid claims for penalty end in the ball dribbling wide of the posts.

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Coming up to the break, the Munster side found another breath of wind to keep the ball in the opposing half, drew back level through Naughton and Paul Maher and, as the clock edged into added time, Rigter and Danny Neville struck to give them a half-time lead of 0-10 to o-8.

After the Midlanders failed to convert the first two chances of the second half, Naughton sent over a free at the other end to stretch the gap to three before Loughlin replied from a free and from play. However, when Naughton pointed again, the Limerick forwards recovered their fluency and, keeping up the high line, moved into what looked like a match-winning position as Neville, Naughton's free and Darragh Murray all found the target.

Westmeath could have interrupted the momentum had Tadhg Baker's shot at the end of a break not been saved by Josh Ryan but they rediscovered their direction when two further moves from deep end with points for Stephen Smith and Ronan Wallace. Although their next few offensives were closed off by the opposing defence, they went for broke as the clock started winding down and, with Wallace and Loughlin featuring in every movement, Connellan, Wallace, and McCartan had them back on level terms before Loughlin struck twice to put them ahead.

However, despite conceding seven scores without reply, Limerick hadn't lost their shape and, with their subs now fully in tune with pace of the game, Naughon's point steadied their resolve, Bob Childs collected the resultant kickout to equalise and, when Ryan came up from his goals to put them in front with two regulation minutes to go, it looked as if the pendulum had swung again. But the three added minutes revealed further twists to the plot as Loughlin picked off his seventh score of the afternoon and, with both sets of supporters on their feet, Rigter raced right up the middle to the Town end goals to slot over the match-winning point.

SCORERS

LIMERICK: James Naughton 0-8 (2 frees), Emmett Rigter 0-3, Danny Neville 0-2, Paul Maher, Tommie Childs, Peter Nash (free), Darragh Murray, Bob Childs, Josh Ryan 0-1 each;

WESTMEATH: Luke Loughlin 0-7, Ray Connellan 0-3 (1 2x), Sam McCartan, Ronan Wallace 0-2 each, Nigel Harte, Kevin O'Sullivan, Luke Dolan, Stephen Smith 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Josh Ryan; Jason Hassett, Darren O'Doherty, Mark McCarthy; Paul Maher, Iain Corbett, Tony McCarthy; Tommie Childs, Darragh O'Hagan; James Naughton, Emmett Rigter, Cillian Fahy; Peter Nash, Danny Neville, Killian Ryan. SUBS: Darragh Murray for Cillian Fahy (46 minutes), Rory O'Brien for Paul Maher (56 minutes), Bob Childs for Tommie Childs (56 minutes), Andrew Meade for Danny Neville (69 minutes).

WESTMEATH: Conor McCormack; David Giles, Sam Smyth, Jamie Gonoud; Joseph Moran, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan; Eoghan McCabe, Ray Connellan; Matthew Whittaker, Kevin O'Sullivan, Nigel Harte; Luke Loughlin, Stephen Smith, Lorcan Dolan. SUBS: Brian Cooney for Eoghan McCabe (27 minutes), Tadhg Baker for Nigel Harte (33 minutes), Donie Scahill for David Giles (half-time), Brendan Kelly for Lorcan Dolan, Shane Allen for Ray Connellan (68 minutes).

REFEREE: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).