Limerick FC are seeking to complete the most unlikely of escape acts this evening as they take on Finn Harps in the second leg of their SSE Airtricity Premier Division promotion/relegation play-off at Finn Park.
That Limerick are even in the postion of a play-off is remarkable given that they looked to be certainties for automatic relegation given after 20 league games they sat rooted to the bottom of the table with just six points.
A stunning revival in the final third of the season saw Martin Russell’s side haul themselves off the automatic relegation place and with a 1-0 win over Finn Harps in the first leg of their play-off at the Market's Fields, they are just 90 minutes away from ensuring their Premier Division status.
Midfielder Paul O’Conor says players will be “really eager to finish the job” at Finn Park but is expecting a testing encounter.
“I’ve played in Finn Park once before a couple of years ago; it was a tough place to go then, it’s a tough place to go now. It’s going to be a tough atmosphere I think,” he said.
“But they’re going to have come out now because they know they’re 1-0 down. They won’t be able to defend as much as they did in the first game. That will draw them out a bit more which will hopefully favour us.
“But we’re going to have to be on our game. Everybody is going to have to be really at it, with no sloppy mistakes. It’s going to be a bit of a battle. You’re going to have to earn the right to play.
“In the first while we’ll do that; we’ll earn our right, we’ll get involved in the game and make sure we’re not intimidated out of it, and then we’ll go in and try to play our football.”
On the injury front Limerick have doubts over forward trio Ian Turner, Dean Clarke and Vinny Faherty who picked up knocks in Monday’s first leg.
It was that good we'll watch it again. And again. And again. Less than nine hours to kick-off! #LimerickFC #loi pic.twitter.com/6vyFMjTaeV
— Limerick FC (@LimerickFCie) November 6, 2015
Finn Harps boss Ollie Horgan has called on his side’s supporters to come out in numbers and get behind the Ballybofey side.
“The supporters were great in Limerick as they have been all season all over the country – we need their full backing again on Friday as we need all the help we can get,” he said.
Home form has been a big factor in Harp’s success this season. In sixteen games in all competitons this season at Finn Park, Harps have tasted defeat only once with Ciaran Gallagher keeping an eleven clean sheets.
Horgan is targeting another clean sheet tonight and believes that if his side can keep Limerick scoreless, they’ll give themselves a chance.
“We have to score and try to keep a clean sheet, something that very few Premier Division teams have achieved against Limerick recently, he said.”
Harps look to be without Nathan Boyle’s as he further damaged an already tender hamstring on Monday night and had to leave the field early. Kevin McHugh is also a major doubt and was unable to take any part at the Markets Field.
Meanwhile the walking wounded of Raymond Foy and Damien McNulty will be assessed further nearer kick-off.
