Limerick FC face daunting task at home to Dundalk

RELEGATION-THREATENED Limerick FC face a daunting task when locking horns with title favourites Dundalk in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division at the Markets Field this Friday night, 7.45pm.

Tommy Barrett’s Limerick side are facing into back-to-back games against Dundalk, with a quarter-final tie in the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup to come next weekend.

Ten of Barrett’s 18-man matchday squad for Friday night’s fixture are 21 years of age or under, with seven of those still eligible for Under-19 football, while injuries have left the manager’s training sessions depleted.

Eoin Wearen – who exited with a jarred knee after last week’s FAI Cup win over Cabinteely – is awaiting results of a scan with a possible timeframe of 4-5 weeks on the sidelines.

Another versatile member of the squad, Kilian Cantwell, continues to struggle with a groin injury.

Smarting Dundalk come into Friday night’s game after having their 13-match winning streak and unbeaten run ended at the death of their back fixture against Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park on Tuesday night.

“Dundalk are disappointed after that,” Tommy Barrett said

“We are in a difficult position in the league. We need to try to get points on the board. But we are working with a very young squad. Ten of our 18 players are 21 or under, with seven of those Under-19s and two of them just out of Under-19s.

“We have a couple of injuries at the moment which are making things even more difficult for us. We had just 15 players training during the week.

“It’s not making excuses but people need to know where we are at, and tests do not come any tougher than this Friday. At the same time, it’s a good challenge for us – a really difficult one.

“Dundalk are a top-class outfit, they’re top of the league, they have players we could only dream of being able to afford, and they’re just off the back of a run of 13 league wins. It’s a huge ask for our players to go out and get a result, but all we can do is go out and try our best, which we will do.”

Since winning at Oriel Park under Stuart Taylor in September 2013, the Shannonsiders have drawn one and lost 11 of their subsequent 12 meetings. This year, they have been on the end of 8-0, 3-0 and 4-0 defeats.

While Limerick’s home form has been inconsistent at best, Dundalk have won seven-in-a-row on the road in the league, going back to a 2-1 loss at Waterford in early May.