Dowling's double opens door to Limerick rout

Limerick 3-22 Antrim 0-17:TWO STUNNING first-half goals by Shane Dowling was the launch pad for Limerick's demolition Antrim at Casement Park yesterday, a result that sends the Shannonsiders into a shootout with Clare at the top of Division 1B.

“After our poor start to the league, this was a chance to put things right and, by half-time, the game was really over,” said winning manager John Allen. “Now we have a chance to get back into Division 1A.

“It was good to give a good performance today – it means a lot to us,” .

The visitors ran up a 1-10 to 0-5 lead by the 24th minute, as Antrim didn’t score for 11 minutes following a promising start where they had matched Limerick score for score.

The Limerick goal was blasted home by Dowling from a 20m free and, when he added another from the same spot eight minutes later for a 2-10 to 0-6 advantage, the writing was on the wall.

Limerick led by 2-12 to 0-8 at the interval and, in an effort to stem the tide, Antrim sent in three replacements but it didn’t really make a difference.

After Shane McNaughton pulled a point back for Antrim, the winners continued to dominate and when substitute Seán Tobin rifled in a third goal, the contest was over with 17 minutes to go.

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Walsh (0-1), R McCarthy, T Condon; W McNamara, D O’Grady, G O’Mahoney; P Browne, J Ryan (0-2); S Dowling (2-4, 2-0 frees, 0-1 pen), D Breen (0-2), C Allis (0-9, 0-2 frees, 0-2 65s); G Mulcahy, N Moran (0-1), T Quaid (0-1). Subs: S O’Neill for Condon (half-time), S Tobin (1-2) for T Quaid (47 mins), K Downes for Moran (55 mins), S O’Brien for Breen (59 mins), T Ryan for McNamara (63 mins).

ANTRIM: D Quinn; A Graffin, C Donnelly, K McGourty; N McAuley, N McManus (0-1), M Gettins; K Stewart (0-1), P Sheils; S McCrory, M Herron (0-2), E McCloskey (0-2); PJ O’Connell (0-1), C Carson, S McNaughton (0-9, 0-4 frees). Subs: B McFall (0-1) for McCrory (half-time), B McAuley for Shiels (half-time), Scullion for Carson (half-time), J Kerr for Donnelly (inj, 47 mins).

Referee: A Kelly (Galway).