Derry held as Limerick make a point
While the share of the spoils was probably a fair result in the end, Derry’s strong finish saw the Limerick defence stand tall when blocking shots from Barry McNamee and Ronan Curtis.
McNamee had been first to test the Limerick keeper in the fourth minute but Brendan Clarke gathered a tame shot with ease.
Limerick struck in the 12th minute when the experienced Shane Duggan played a captain’s role with a sublime strike from 20 yards.
Having needlessly lost possession in defence, the ball was played perfectly into the path of Duggan, his left-foot drive screamed into the net with Ger Doherty at full stretch.
Four minutes later Duggan was at it again but his low effort failed to hit the target.
In the 33rd minute McNamee lifted the hopes of the home lot but his shot was well over the crossbar.
Duggan threatened again in the 37th minute, his shot skimming the crossbar with Doherty struggling.
The home side finally got into their stride with a strong finish to the first half.
Five minutes before the break, Nathan Boyle did well when turning a defender and bursting forward, but his low shot into the six-yard box was gathered by the alert Clarke.
The home side opened the second half on the front foot and, on the hour, deservedly levelled matters.
Having won a free-kick for handball just outside the penalty area, McNamee curled a superb free-kick into the net from 20 yards.
The strike, though similar to one he scored against Drogheda on March 18, Derry’s last victory, was the Donegal man’s goal of the season thus far.
Rodrigo Tosi did well to get a downward header on target for Limerick in the 66th minute, but Doherty did well to make a vital save.
Within 60 seconds the Derry keeper denied Tosi again when he raced onto an under-weighted back pass from Dean Jarvis, the keeper advancing quickly to block the shot.
Derry sub Ronan Curtis, brought the best out of Clarke in the 77th minute with a superb shot, the keeper touching the ball over the crossbar.
G. Doherty; McDermott, Barry, Jarvis, B. Doherty; Schubert (Kennedy, 78), Low, Monaghan, Timlin (Curtis, h/t); McNamee; Boyle.
B. Clarke; Kelly, Whitehead, Williams, Robson; Mulhall (D. Clarke, 69), O’Connor, Duggan, Lynch; Ogbene; Tosi (Walsh, 88).
P. Tuite (Dublin).
