Mervue see red as controversial refereeing decisions prove costly

Date Published: 08-May-2012

Limerick FC 2

Mervue United 0

ONCE again some debatable referring decisions denied Mervue Utd at least a point at Jackman Park on Friday evening as title favourites Limerick eventually ran out 2-0 winners.

Mervue manager Johnny Glynn was understandably not a happy man after the game as Gary Kelly’s second-half sending off seemed harsh and, to make matters worse, referee Sean Grant also turned down a blatant penalty which could have levelled matters with eight minutes remaining.

The visitors more than matched Pat Scully’s second placed side in the opening period even though the home team did enjoy the majority of possession, but never really created too many clear-cut chances at a tense Jackman Park were the home support expect all visiting teams to be rolled over with ease.

That’s something this Mervue side were not going to let happen as Mike Elwood led by example at the heart of the defence and full back Michael McSweeney kept former Galway player Derek O’Brien in check.

Some early Limerick pressure ended with Stephen Bradley shooting across the face of Ronan Forde’s goal, while the home side’s main attacking threat, former Mervue player Rory Gaffney’s long throws, also ended with Pat Purcell shooting wide on the quarter hour mark.

Mervue’s Gary Kelly forced a good save from Dave Ryan on 21 minutes after some excellent play from Jason Molloy on the right, while another Gaffney long throw saw Purcell’s header gathered by Forde. Shane Guthrie did come close to opening the scoring when he headed a Bradley corner just wide on 26 minutes.

The visitors responded with Shane Keogh delivering an inviting ball into the danger area just past the half hour mark but Pat Hoban couldn’t supply the vital touch to direct the ball past Ryan. Another Gaffney missile was flicked on by Purcell but O’Brien headed wide at the back post. Gaffney then went on a run which took him past three of his former team-mates before shooting wide of Forde’s post for the last action of the opening half.

The home side opened the scoring 13 minutes after the break and Mervue can feel hard done once again. Centre half Elwood made the clearance to concede a corner kick but in the act got caught with an accidental elbow into the face and had to leave the field with a broken nose. Bradley delivered the corner with Mervue trying to make a change and Denis Behan rose highest to glance a header into the far corner.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.