McEntee satisfied as Antrim put best foot forward in Limerick

The Saffrons ran out winners in Rathkeale.

Patrick McAleer of Antrim fields a high ball despite pressure from Robbie Childs of Limerick. Picture: Tom Beary/Sportsfile

Limerick 2-7 Antrim 2-14 

If the 2023 League campaign for Andy McEntee and Antrim was about learning, the 2024 version may well be about progression. Having collected just a pair of victories in the league last year, the Saffrons followed that up with a decent Tailteann Cup campaign which yielded a Croke Park semi-final loss to Meath.

It is now a case of picking up where they left off. While a win over a new-look Limerick will not define their season, it gives them renewed optimism in the perennially competitive third tier.

“Two points in any of the divisions are valuable, it is always good to get those points the first day out. You don’t want to be going two or three games into the league and be looking for points”, explained McEntee.

Dominic McEnhill’s penalty contributed to a 1-7 to 0-2 lead after 30 minutes, before the visitors saw that whittled back to just a point when Limerick enjoyed their purple patch. Losing Dermot McAleese to a black card didn’t help the Saffrons' cause, but they emerged from their slumber to eventually see off Limerick side lacking in confidence and now short a lot of inter-county experience.

“When it got to 1-7 to 1-6, Limerick missed a couple of chances, but then Ruairí McCann got a really good score. That seemed to settle us, and once we got that we pushed on again”, continued the Meath native.

“It gives us great encouragement for the next one, but it just makes life a little bit easier. I think they (the squad) have been great. I think you’ll see they’ve got themselves in really good shape, they’ve applied themselves really, really, well. Five of our main starters from last year are out with long term injuries, and a couple more are out since the start of this year, so we are missing nearly half a team”.

Tommie Childs’ goal cut the gap to a point once more, entering the final quarter, the Antrim reply was perfect – a Ruairi McCann green flag from the next play –perhaps killing off the Limerick fightback.

“We had got ourselves back into the game, but a few body blows came. They got the goal after we had scored the goal and then the black card”, explained new manager Jimmy Lee.

“There was a lot of positives. It is well noted that there is 17 players gone, these guys are working their socks off since the 24th of November. There is a lot of young fellas in there, who are trying to find their way. We are trying to put together a team, and we’ve a lot of forwards missing.” 

Since his brother Billy guided Limerick out of the third tier in the spring of 2022, Limerick have failed to win a league game, drawing once and losing eight.

“Getting beaten is never easy. Winning is a habit and we need to get back to that. I am happy with the cards we have. I have never hidden from the fact it is a redevelopment job.” 

Down are next for the Treaty, while Antrim will be confident at home to Offaly next weekend.

Scorers for Limerick: I Corbett 1-2 (1-0 pen); T Childs 1-1; P Nash (mark), R Childs, A O’Sullivan (45), C Fahy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Antrim: D McEnhill 1-6 (1-0 pen, 0-3 frees); R McCann 1-2;

M Byrne (frees) 0-2; E Hynds, D McAleese, N Burnes, R Boyle 0-1 each.

Limerick: A O’Sullivan; T McCarthy, S O’Dea, B O’Sullivan; C McSweeney, R Childs, P Maher; T Childs, T Griffin; I Corbett, C Fahy, B Coleman; D Daly, J Naughton, P Nash.

Subs: E Rigter for Naughton (inj – 28); E Hurley for Daly (35); C Downes for T Griffin (44), A Meade for Nash (63).

Antrim: M Byrne; R Boyle, E Walsh, K Keenan; M Hordan, J Finnegan, D McAleesse (C); C McLarnon, P McAleer; E Hynds, N Burnes, R McCann; P McBride, C McGettigan, D McEnhill.

Subs: C Hand for Boyle (69); D Lynch for McAleese (70); B Kelly for McAleer (70).

Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary)