Limerick 0-16
Offaly 1-11

Limerick have been crowned Allianz Football League Division 4 champions for the second time in three years after recovering from a slow start to beat Offaly at Croke Park.

The signs looked ominous for Maurice Horan's charges when they trailed by 0-1 to 1-4 inside the opening 15 minutes, but they finished the first half strongly to regain parity at half-time, 0-8 to 1-5.

Offaly twice led by two points in the second half but, showing the greater appetite, Limerick scored the last four points to claim the spoils and repeat last February's Round 2 victory over the Faithful County.

The losers, who will return to Croke Park on June 1 for a Leinster SFC quarter-final meeting with Kildare, will be disappointed with their failure to build on late call-up Ross Brady's spectacular 11th minute goal and a tally of 15 wides. But Limerick deserve great credit for the manner in which they picked themselves up from the canvas before going on to win the game.

Ian Ryan's frees were crucial in getting them back into contention, while veteran Stephen Lavin (who scored two points from wing back), the returning John Galvin (who failed to finish the game through injury) and Eoghan O'Connor were also prominent.

In addition, substitutes Derry O'Connor and Seamus O'Carroll made handsome contributions to the success by scoring 0-3 between them on a day when support for the Shannonsiders was thin on the ground owing to Munster's Heineken Cup clash with Clermont in France.

Both teams made changes to their selected line-ups with Stephen Lucey, Ian Corbett and Lorcan O'Dwyer coming into the Limerick side in place of Johnny McCarthy, Ger Collins and Andy Lane, and Ross Brady replacing Shane Sullivan at full back for the Faithful.

Offaly - in their changed all-white strip and playing into the Hill 16 end - were on the scoreboard after just nine seconds when Richie Dalton won possession from the throw-in and set up Ken Casey for a point. Ian Corbett then placed Limerick captain Seanie Buckley for the equalising score with barely 90 seconds played.

Emmett McDonnell's charges were only warming to their task, though, and hit the Treatymen for an unanswered 1-3 between the sixth and 13th minutes to take an early grip on proceedings. Ken Casey started the scoring sequence with a fisted point after Brian Connor had soloed through the heart of the Limerick defence.

Connor created another score for corner back Brian Darby moments later before late call-up Brady fired a left-footed shot to the roof of Donal O'Sullivan's net for a brilliant Offaly goal. The midlanders were purring now and when captain Niall McNamee followed up with their fourth point, they were six points clear, 1-4 to 0-1.

Limerick had 'keeper O'Sullivan to thank for not falling further behind when he saved from Graham Guilfoyle in the 15th minute. Stephen Lavin made several forays into the Offaly half in the opening period, and one of these yielded a free which Ian Ryan converted for Limerick's first point in over a quarter of an hour.

Ryan was then fouled by Sean Pender on the 13-metre line and tapped over the resultant free to bring the winners closer. Niall McNamee restored Offaly's five-point lead with a spectacular score, but the rest of the half belonged to Limerick who played some excellent football to go into the break on terms.

Ian Ryan landed his third and fourth frees before Offaly had two major let-offs. Limerick midfielder Bobby O'Brien inexplicably fisted wide after Alan Mulhall's short kick-out was intercepted and then Mulhall prevented a goal when he produced a superb save to deny Eoghan O'Connor after Ryan's point attempt had hit the top of the post.

Ryan didn't have to wait long for his first point from play before number 23 Ian Corbett left the minimum it with another fisted point. The tireless Stephen Lavin shot Limerick's fifth point in-a-row in the 32nd minute to leave the sides deadlocked at the break.

The Munster men picked up from where they left off at half-time when, following a patient build-up, the vastly-experienced Stephen Lucey gave them the lead for the first time within a minute of the restart. Niall McNamee quickly restored parity for the Faithful following a simple layoff by his Rhode club-mate Brian Darby, and the Offaly full forward showed his class with another beauty to edge his team back in front, 1-7 to 0-9.

The increasingly influential John Galvin picked up a yellow card before Ken Casey's third point doubled Offaly's lead. But back came Limerick to level again with scores from Thomas Lee and John Riordan. Lee connected with a high ball to fist over in the 44th minute before Riordan also found the target after Seanie Buckley and Ian Ryan had been involved in the build-up.

Brian Connor then took centre stage with two wonderful points either side of a poor Eoghan O'Connor wide. Limerick introduced Derry O'Connor in the 56th minute and the substitute made an instant impact when he pointed off his right with his first kick.

Ken Casey, who had missed a couple of earlier frees, landed his first and fourth point in all with 11 minutes to go, but Offaly weren't to score again as Limerick finished with a flourish.

Stephen Lavin left the minimum in it with his second point before super-sub O'Connor levelled in the 64th minute, this time with a fine left-footed effort. As the tension increased, John Galvin and Richie Dalton both registered wides before the pacey Eoghan O'Connor knifed through the Offaly defence to fist over the lead point.

Referee Ciaran Brannigan singled one minute of stoppage-time, during which another replacement, Seamus O'Connor, landed a '45 for the insurance score.

Limerick - D O'Sullivan; L O'Dwyer, M O'Riordan, P Browne; S Lavin (0-2), S Lucey (0-1), P Ranahan; B O'Brien, J Galvin; J Riordan (0-1), T Lee (0-1), S Buckley (0-1); E O'Connor (0-1), I Corbett (0-1), I Ryan (0-5, 4f). Subs: D O'Connor (0-2) for Lee, M Sheehan for Lucey, S O'Carroll (0-1'45) for Galvin, D Treacy for Ryan.

Offaly - A Mulhall; S Pender, P McConway, B Darby (0-1); E Carroll, R Brady (1-0), M Brazil; A McNamee, R Dalton; G Guilfoyle, B Connor (0-2), A Sullivan; N Darby, N McNamee (0-4), K Casey (0-4, 1f). Subs: D Kelly for McNamee, W Mulhall for Sullivan.

Referee - C Branagan. Tweet

Most Read Stories