Oscar Traynor Cup side crash out after heavy defeat

Limerick League 5

Galway League 0

A competitive and scoreless opening half left this contest in the balance at the interval, but once Limerick made the breakthrough on 61 minutes, the mood changed as the home side lifted their game to a higher level and four more goals later, they were through to the knock-out stages of the Oscar Traynor Cup.

Illness and injury deprived Galway of the services of Barry Moran and Simon Walsh, on an occasion when Tommy Walsh, Seamie Crowe and Paul Scally made their first start of the campaign.

A better finish by Ronan Caldwell might have given Galway an interval advantage in a good first-half and after the home side took the lead, a cracking Keith Ward strike was clawed away by the home custodian to deny them an equaliser.

In the closing stages, the majority of the Limerick scores came following set-piece plays, as a technically superior home side eventually won in comfort. The win for the home side saw them overtake Galway in the table, while the remaining group game between the Clare and Desmond League was postponed over the weekend and is now scheduled for November 30.

Manager Tommy Lally was very disappointed by the outcome. “Limerick were the better footballing side as they passed the ball well and retained possession, while we in total contrast gave it”.

“Generally the standards we are setting are not good enough, but we can have no excuses. In fairness the players did everything we asked of them and while all was going well for a long time, as soon as they scored, it gave them a pick me up as they moved up a gear from there”.