Limerick get back to business

Limerick 3-21; Derry 2-09: There was no sign of the recent turmoil in the Limerick camp when they came to Derry for the first time yesterday, the unity among the players and management unmistakable.

Indeed, Mossy Carroll declared before the game that "everything was fine" and the body language between himself and manager Eamon Cregan suggested that the recent hiatus was all in the past. The players did their bit to cement relations, with a thoroughly efficient job against a Derry team that was poor in the first half but improved considerably after the break.

Indeed, Derry manager Dominic McKinley was very pleased with the second-half display but disappointed Limerick were allowed to build up a commanding 2-12 to 1-4 interval lead.The lead would have been greater but for a strong finish by Derry that produced a 1-02 burst in the last five minutes, Mickey Collins scoring the first of his two goals.

Limerick were always sharper to the ball and slicker and longer in their striking, all six of their forwards getting on the scoreboard.

Even though McKeever, Lynch and Magill put in tremendous defensive displays, there was no doubting the accurate finishing of man of the match Keane, Butler and powerful full forward Brian Begley.

By the break, Keane had scored 1-07, but, apart from an outrageous deflection by Begley, that sent a Keane shot to the net two minutes into the second half, the Liberties man didn't get a score from play off the tenacious Derry captain McKeever.

The Limerick defence, especially the half back trio of Smith, Geary and Mark Foley hurled with great power and Derry had limited opportunities to get near goal.

DERRY: K Stevenson; E McKeever, G Brunton, R Lynch; D Magill, C McEldowney, B Ward; R McCloskey, M Conway; Greg Biggs 0-1, O Collins (0-3, two frees), P O'Kane; M Collins (2-1), G McGonigle (0-4, 1 free), E Farran. Subs: Gary Biggs for Farran (40 mins); J O'Dwyer for McCloskey (45).

LIMERICK: A Shanahan; S McDonagh, S Lucey, J Foley; C Smith, B Geary, M Foley (0-2); C Carey, P Carey (0-1); J Moran (0-1), S O'Connor (1-0), B Foley (0-1); J Butler (0-4), B Begley (0-2), M Keane (2-8, five points from frees). Subs: C Fitzgerrald (0-2, one free) for B Foley (52 mins); Reale for J Foley (60); O'Brien for M Keane (60); E Foley for Begley (68).

Referee: J McClean (Antrim).