Super sub John Lester drilled home an 86th minute penalty to help Limerick secure a narrow but deserved 2-1 victory over Finn Harps at Hogan Park tonight.
Lester, who was only on the field three minutes, found the net from twelve yards after his through ball led to captain Pat Purcell being taken down inside the box.
Harps, who were put under severe pressure by the hosts all night, clawed their way back into the game when Shane Bradley dispatched a 73rd minute spot kick to tie the match at 1-1 after Limerick keeper Austin O'Neill was very harshly adjudged to have taken down Stephen O'Donnell.
Limerick, who had missed a 53rd minute penalty when Conor Sinnott's tamely struck effort was saved by James Gallagher, opened the scoring via a Robbie Kelleher header in the 19th minute.
Brian Buckley began the move on the left sending over a searching cross and Kelleher did the rest with a powerful connection, which flew back across goal into the far corner of the net.
Blues Chairman Danny Drew was in charge of the first team for the second game running tonight following the departure of manager Noel O'Connor.
And the interim boss will have been pleased with this performance from his side who created chance after chance in the game only to be denied by Harps impressive netminder Gallagher.
Kelleher, Sinnott, Shane Guerin and Jason McCartney all tested Gallagher in the first half but the Harps last line of defence was equal to their efforts with some outstanding saves.
The hosts began the second half on the offensive culminating in Sinnott being taken down inside the box for the first penalty of the night.
Midway through the half Kelleher then left two defenders for dead inside the area only to see Gallagher dive across goal to keep out his low shot.
The Shannonsiders almost paid the price for spurning those opportunities when Bradley converted what was the visitors' first shot on target all night.
But Lester, who is Limerick's regular penalty taker, made no mistake in the dying minutes with a low spot kick to Gallagher's left to seal Limerick's first league win since July 7.
Harps best opportunity in this one-side encounter arrived inside the opening five minutes when Ryan Gavigan rifled inches over from inside the box.
Limerick: O'Neill, Wolfe, Buckley, Waters, Purcell, Barrett (Lester 83) Kelleher (Sheehan 81) Sinnott, Guerin, Heffernan, McCartney (McCarthy 50).
Finn Harps: Gallagher, McGowan, Minnock, Asokhu, Bradley, Funston, Curran, Bell, O'Connor (O'Donnell 52) Gavigan, Crossan.
Referee: A O'Regan (Cork).
