Limerick punished for inept display

Limerick 1-12

For Limerick, still to open their account, it was a day of absolute disaster. As manager Dave Keane said after his charges plummeted to defeat: "We simply cannot go any lower than this. We have lost it. We had no cohesion, no purpose, no game plan.We are at rock-bottom now and there is only one way we can go."

But on the evidence provided by his team's dismal performance, Keane will have his work cut out to provide a miraculous cure to get Limerick back up among the game's elite.

Whether or not the internal feud reported between Keane and team captain Mark Foley had any bearing on Limerick's pitiful performance is debatable. Certainly, I have never seen a Limerick hurling team perform so badly.

Offaly, short 12 of their regular first team and with dashing midfielder Ger Oakley standing in at full-back, still managed to reduce this Limerick side to a level of ineptitude that was inexcusable.

With Limerick floundering all over the place and with their defence in total disarray, Offaly, with the aid of a strong wind, stormed into a six points lead after the opening quarter with Brian Carroll and Damien Murray bang on target from both play and frees.

It took Limerick 17 minutes to score when their chief marksman Mark Keane pointed. High expectations of a Limerick resurgence surfaced when full-forward TJ Ryan, receiving from Pat Lawlor, barged his way through to score a courageous goal coming up to the interval break.

But Limerick flattered to deceive and three points on the trot from Noel Murphy, Carroll and Kevin Kelly powered Offaly into a 0-11 to 1-3 lead at half-time.

The outstanding Brian Carroll, who scored 1-6 overall, plunged a lethal dagger into Limerick's gaping wounds three minutes after the resumption when he took advantage of another mix-up at the back to rifle home a goal from close range.

Following this calamitous setback, Limerick did strive for a while to retrieve a dreadful situation.

Four points in rapid succession from Mark Foley, Mark Keane, Eoin Foley and Keane again, who ended up with a personal tally of seven points including two successful '65 conversions, brought Limerick to within four points of their opponents entering the closing quarter.

But Limerick sadly lacked the skill, passion and character to follow through and with their defence conceding needless frees, Brian Carroll punished them to the hilt with his unerring accuracy.

When substitute Barry Foley pointed shortly after his arrival on the scene to leave it 1-16 to 1-11, one still confidently expected a grandstand finish from Limerick in front of their home crowd.

Alas, it was not to be, primarily because Limerick did not have the guile or the heart to knock Offaly from their lofty perch of supremacy.

The final nail in Limerick's coffin was hammered home in the 64th minute when impressive corner forward Damien Murray pounced to score the clinching goal.

And although a minute later Offaly had their right corner back Kevin Brady sent off for a second bookable offence, a hapless Limerick side were unable to make any inroads on the commanding position Offaly assumed for themselves all through this game.

Scorers. Offaly. B. Carroll 1-6 (0-4 from frees); D. Murray 1-3 (0-2 from frees); B. Murphy 0-3 (0-1 from free); N. Coughlan, D. Franks, K. Kelly and N. Murphy 0-1 each.

Limerick. T. J. Ryan 1-0; M. Keane 0-7 (0-4 from frees; 0-2 from 65's); M. Foley 0-2; E. Foley, B. Foley and B. Begley 0-1 each.

OFFALY: S. Byrne; K. Brady, G. Oakley, B. Teehan; C. Cassidy, J. Brady, D. Franks; M. Cordial, A. Hanrahan; B. Carroll, N. Coughlan, B. Murphy; K. Kelly, N. Murphy, D. Murray. Subs. C. Gath for N. Murphy; A. Mannion for Kelly.

LIMERICK: T. Houlihan; D. Reale, E. Mulcahy, Maurice O'Brien; E. Foley, B. Geary, C. Smith; P. Lawlor, Mike O'Brien; J. Moran, M. Foley, O. Moran; D. Sheehan, T. J. Ryan, M. Keane. Subs. B. Begley for J. Moran; B. Foley for O. Moran; J. Meskell for Mike O'Brien.

Referee: P. Dunphy (Kilkenny).