NFL Division 4 final: Limerick 3-11 Wexford 0-18
Finally, the Limerick footballers know how it feels to hoist silverware at Croke Park.
Their hurling counterparts have had plenty of practice but this was all about the quality and endeavour of the county’s big ball representatives as they captured the National Football League Division 4 title.
Tommy Childs will go down as the gamebreaker given that he struck the 62nd minute goal which ultimately separated the sides in a cracking encounter.
Beaten by Wexford when they met in the group stages, the Shannonsiders had the last laugh and signed off on their spring campaign with a fourth title at this grade.
Earlier goals from Darragh Ó Siochrú and sub Peter Nash were significant too, while Emmett Rigter struck two points and was named Man of the Match.
But it wasn’t until Childs converted his goal, straight after two two-pointers from resurgent favourites Wexford, that Limerick finally took a lead they would hold on to.
Wexford didn’t lose any face in defeat and almost tied the game up late on when, trailing by two, they worked the ball into a position to shoot for another two-pointer.
But Niall Hughes was unable to split the posts and with the hooter having already sounded, it was the last action of a memorable encounter.
The win should give Limerick plenty of confidence ahead of next weekend’s Munster Championship opener against Cork while Wexford will take on Laois in Leinster.
Wexford arrived at Croke Park armed with the only perfect record across all four divisions, their seven group wins yielding a whopping 14 points.
But they will reflect on a series of first-half missed goal chances. Shane Pettit had a shot deflected wide, Gavin Sheehan was foiled by the Limerick goalkeeper, Mark Rossiter had an effort blocked down, and Eoin Porter’s second point in the 29th minute was tipped over by the goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, at the other end, Limerick’s James Naughton was a central figure. Fresh off hitting 4-12 against Waterford last weekend, he was unsurprisingly full of vigour and confidence early on.
He got lots of possession but didn’t always have the accuracy to compliment his ambition. He took three wides including a kick-pass meant for Tony McCarthy who was in space and bearing down on goal.
Naughton also fed 2024 Tailteann Cup All Star Rigter for a goal chance in the dying moments of the half which the full-forward booted wide.
Still, there were plenty of positives for Naughton who drilled four first-half points and also helped set up their 24th-minute goal for Ó Siochrú by initially linking up with Childs.
It all added up to a 1-6 to 0-6 half-time advantage for Limerick who showed no signs of distraction with next weekend’s Championship opener on the horizon.
Wexford, to their credit, looked fully focused on lifting silverware too and restarted brightly, scoring three points in a row.
Another from Rossiter tied the game up at 0-9 to 1-6 but Limerick’s second goal, from Nash in the 45th minute, was a turning point.
Wexford didn’t throw in the towel and briefly levelled it at 2-10 to 0-16 following two-point scores from Eoghan Nolan and goalkeeper Darragh Brooks.
But Limerick quickly reestablished their lead when Childs sniped that decisive third goal.
LIMERICK: J Ryan; C Woulfe, C McSweeney, F Cotter; M McCarthy, I Corbett, T McCarthy (0-0-1); D O’Hagan, T Childs (1-0-1); P Maher (0-0-1), K Ryan, C Fahy; D Ó Siochrú (1-0-1), E Rigter (0-0-2), J Naughton (0-0-4; 3f).
Subs: R Childs for McCarthy (29 mins); P Nash (1-0-0) for O’Hagan (43); D Neville (0-0-1) for Ó Siochrú (53); A Meade for Fahy, D Buckley for McCarthy (both 60).
WEXFORD: D Brooks (0-1-1; 1tpf, 1 ‘45); L O’Connor, G Sheehan, M Furlong; M O’Connor (0-0-1), E Nolan (0-1-0), E Porter (0-0-2); L Coleman, N Hughes (0-0-2); P Hughes (0-0-2), S Pettit, T Byrne; M Rossiter (0-0-4; 3f), K O’Grady (0-0-1), C Hughes.
Subs: S Ryan for Byrne, B Brosnan for C Hughes (both ht); G Cullen (0-0-1) for Pettit (46 mins); D Furlong for O’Connor (50).
Referee: S Mulhare (Laois).
