Limerick 37 produced one of their best performances of the season to get back to winning ways at the expense of Athlone Town at Jackman Park on Friday night.
Wayne Colbert - back with Lims following his stint with Shamrock Rovers - opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a rising diagonal drive which took a slight deflection before finding the net.
Padraig Moran was involved in the move with an outrageous piece of skill inside the area and when the ball broke to Colbert he made no mistake from just outside the area.
Eleven minutes later Kevin Waters doubled his side’s advantage with a well taken penalty past Athlone keeper Danny O'Leary who had the referee pointing to the spot after he took down McCarthy following a fine through ball from Tommy Barrett.
Former Athlone favourite Moran then got in on the act. Nigel Keady began the move finding McCarthy, who fed Waters and his low cross was swept home by Moran from eight yards out.
Town’s only real chance of note of the opening half arrived in the 35th minute via a looping Ronan Frawley header which was well saved by Dave Ryan.
Limerick captain Pat Purcell almost put his side four ahead just before the break with a thundering header from a Waters cross which came back off the crossbar.
Half-time substitute Anthony Hayes went close with virtually his first touch of the ball immediately after the break firing low to O'Leary's right but the Athlone keeper was equal to the effort.
The visitors reduced the deficit in the 49th minute when Dave O'Dowd drove low and hard under Ryan after the home defence was caught flatfooted trying to play the offside trap.
Midway through the half Robbie Kelleher set up Hayes following a great run from the left but the latter's shot was always rising.
Kelleher put the matter beyond dispute with two minutes remaining. He rounded O'Leary to slot home after Adrian Carberry’s attempted back-pass failed to reach its target.
Limerick 37: Ryan, Keady, Buckley, Finucane (Hayes 45) Purcell, Molan, Colbert (Cosgrave 74) Barrett, McCarthy, Waters, Moran (Kelleher 67)
Athlone Town: O'Leary, Rossitor, Carbery, Frawley, McCarthy, Fortune (McGee 66) Harty (Young 27), Byrne, Lavine (O'Dowd 45) McTiernan, Jinks
Referee: E McNally (Cork)
