LIMERICK face a tough semi-final clash with Wicklow due to their 1-9 to 4-11 loss against Carlow in Birr last weekend.
Limerick’s Senior Ladies faced a tough challenge last Sunday as they travelled to Birr to take on Carlow in the 5th round of the TG4 All-Ireland Championship.
Despite Limerick being the first to get a point on the board, the games opening few minutes was in control by Carlow. Carlow responded to Limerick’s opening point with three of their own, it took Limerick until the 18th minute before they got on the board again.
It wasn’t long before Limerick managed to get level with Carlow with 3 points a piece, this was until play was stopped due to the very concerning injury of Limerick’s Andrea O’Sullivan.
Medics attended to O’Sullivan immediately but opted not to move her until the ambulance arrived, temporarily halting the game for an hour.
Upon the games resumption, Carlow’s attack remained relentless towards the now unsettled Limerick side. Despite back-to-back points from Limerick’s Roisin Ambrose, Carlow earned two additional points to maintain a lead before bagging their first goal in the 32nd minute thanks to Dannah O’Brien.
Now with a five point lead, Carlow kept the pressure on the Donal Ryan coached side. Carlow’s Cliodhna Ni Se found the back of the Limerick net once again in the 33rd minute, just one minute after play resumed from their first goal.
On the brink of half-time, Carlow managed to extend their lead to nine points.
As the second half got underway and Carlow were the first to score. However, Limerick’s Katie Heelan and Meadhbh MacNamara responded to Carlow with two points of their own.
This was the beginning of an excellent score streak from the shannonsiders, as the Limerick women rattled off six unanswered points.
Now with a hefty 10 point lead reduced to just a two point lead, Nicole Bennett’s goal helped close the gap between the two sides before the water break disrupted Limerick’s momentum.
Upon resumption, Carlow’s Cliodhna Ni Se scored her sides third goal from a penalty. Not long after that Limerick’s Maedbh McCarthy was sent to the sin-bin, reducing them to just 14 in the games crucial final minutes.
As Limerick struggled to keep in formation after the sin-bin, Carlow’s Sara Doyle weaved her way through Limerick’s defence to earn her side’s fourth, establishing the final scoreline of 4-11 to 1-9.
Limerick now face the challenge of Wicklow in the All-Ireland semi-final of the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Ladies Football Championship this weekend.
The post WATCH: Limerick Ladies Football fall short against Carlow but advance to All-Ireland semi-final appeared first on Sporting Limerick.
