Limerick stun Dundalk to revitalize promotion push
Saturday 25th August 2007, 1:45 am
Pat Purcell grabbed Limerick's fourth goal.
Photo by Tom Carey.
24th August 2007
eircom League of Ireland First Division
Limerick 37 4
Darren Harrington 47, 64
John Tierney 61
Pat Purcell 72
Dundalk 1
Robbie Doyle 80
Jackman Park
Limerick 37 gave their promotion chances new hope on Friday night after a stunning 4-1 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Dundalk at Jackman Park.
Both sides had slipped out of form recently and while Dundalk had lost the lead of the First Division, Limerick had slipped out of the play-off places.
Both sides had early chances and Keith Dunne missed the target in the early going for Dundalk. Pat Purcell went close with a header for the home side while Philip Hughes brought a good save from Jimmy Fyffe before the break.
The deadlock was broken just two minutes into the second half as Darren Harrington scored his first League of Ireland goal, firing home after Niall Gallagher could only parry John Tierney's shot.
Tierney got himself on the score-sheet just after the hour as he slotted home a superb free kick from just outside the Dundalk area. Harrington grabbed his second on 64 minutes to put the game beyond the visitors.
Harrington fired in after Kevin Waters had played him in on goal. Purcell glanced home a header from Ross Cosgrave's free kick on 72 minutes to make the scoreline even more unexpected.
Robbie Doyle got a goal back for the visitors with ten minutes left on the clock but at 4-1, they were never likely to claw their way back into the game.
Limerick 37 : Fyffe, Keady, (Hayes 77), Molan, Finnucane, Purcell, Colbert, Cosgrave, Harrington (Barrett 70), Tierney, Waters, McCarthy (Kelleher 75).
Dundalk : Gallagher, K Dunne (Vaughan 57), Hand, Lynch, Crawley, Marney, (Perth 59), Dunne, O'Connor, Doyle, Hughes, Smyth (McArdle 54).