7.45pm 17 October 2014
League of Ireland, Premier Division
Limerick 1 Sligo Rovers 0 (att 600)
First game of a busy football-filled weekend in Ireland, and I took the chance to recomplete the Republic's two-division league with a visit to the impressive Thomond Park rugby stadium in Limerick.
Not my first trip to the city, this was the fourth different home ground I've seen Limerick play on. It was, apparently, their last game here, so when the new League of Ireland season gets underway next spring yet another trip will beckon.
As a rugby ground, Thomond Park Stadium is great. A pair of modern seated stands, both with terraced paddocks in front, face each other on opposite sides of the pitch. Both ends are shallower and uncovered.
As a football venue, with just a few hundred fans inside, it's a strange experience. Sligo had no more than 30 travelling supporters, yet they were housed in a stand of their own, opposite the home supporters.
I had low hopes for an end-of-season fixture with nothing at stake, but it wasn't a bad game. The first half wasn't the best, but it livened up after the break, helped by what proved to be the only goal, in the 52nd minute.
Limerick had chances to score more, and really should have done, but I guess they were happy enough to sign off their home campaign with three points. I was happy enough to have been in the stand during a mid-match torrential downpour with abated before it was time to walk back to my hotel.
View Limerick FC in a larger map
League of Ireland, Premier Division
Limerick 1 Sligo Rovers 0 (att 600)
First game of a busy football-filled weekend in Ireland, and I took the chance to recomplete the Republic's two-division league with a visit to the impressive Thomond Park rugby stadium in Limerick.
Not my first trip to the city, this was the fourth different home ground I've seen Limerick play on. It was, apparently, their last game here, so when the new League of Ireland season gets underway next spring yet another trip will beckon.
As a rugby ground, Thomond Park Stadium is great. A pair of modern seated stands, both with terraced paddocks in front, face each other on opposite sides of the pitch. Both ends are shallower and uncovered.
As a football venue, with just a few hundred fans inside, it's a strange experience. Sligo had no more than 30 travelling supporters, yet they were housed in a stand of their own, opposite the home supporters.
I had low hopes for an end-of-season fixture with nothing at stake, but it wasn't a bad game. The first half wasn't the best, but it livened up after the break, helped by what proved to be the only goal, in the 52nd minute.
Limerick had chances to score more, and really should have done, but I guess they were happy enough to sign off their home campaign with three points. I was happy enough to have been in the stand during a mid-match torrential downpour with abated before it was time to walk back to my hotel.
View Limerick FC in a larger map
Comments
Post a Comment