Limerick 1 Shamrock Rovers 1: Limerick avoided a third successive defeat and Shamrock Rovers failed to get a second win of the campaign as a crowd of 3,006, enjoyed a splendid contest at Thomond Park.
Rovers will be happier because they had to play for 41 minutes of the second half with only 10 players after Ken Oman was shown a second yellow card.
Limerick, too, will be pleased with the outcome because again they drew a good crowd, played some good football, and showed that they are well capable of matching the best following their return to the premier grade.
Rovers applied the early pressure and deserved their 10 minute lead. Sean O'Connor beat acting Limerick skipper, Joe Gamble, and swivelled past two other defenders before he neatly tucked the ball past Shane Cusack, the stand-in Limerick goalkeeper in the absence due to suspension of Barry Ryan while Axel Bossekota was also suspended.
Rovers might have made it two after 18 minutes but just as he was about to shoot James Chambers was dispossessed by Shaun Kelly.
Headed over
Limerick grew more into the game and Aaron Browne headed inches over the crossbar from a Shane Tracey corner. That was after 28 minutes and 60 seconds later the home got on terms.
Stephen Folan floated in a perfect cross and Craig Curran shot past Murphy from close range.
Patrick Nzuzi, Limerick, and Ken Oman, Shamrock Rovers were yellow carded in that entertaining first half.
Oman’s card came in stoppage time and four minutes into the second half he saw red when he was shown a second yellow for pulling back Curran as he moved towards the penalty box.
Undaunted by this etback Rovers almost went in front again just on the hour mark when Karl Sheppard’s effort came back off the crossbar and again in the 70th minute the woodwork came to Limerick's rescue.
This time a perfectly floated effort by Sean O’Connor bounced back into the hands of a very grateful Shane Cusack.
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