Limerick 2-13 Wexford 0-7 Wexford arrived home from Spain on Sunday morning but found warm-weather training of limited benefit in a cold and wet Portlaoise yesterday. So a controlled and at times impressive Limerick took their well travelled opponents apart in this Division Two semi-final watched by about 5,000.
Afterwards, Wexford manager Dom Twomey refused to make an excuse of his injury list but even a brief recap of those ruled out and everyone got the idea.
As the opening exchanges settled down Limerick went to work. All the team's highly regarded components looked in good working order. They dominated centrefield with John Galvin to the fore under dropping ball and mobile moving forward John Quane anchoring the operation.
Their attack buzzed around relentlessly with only Wexford full back Philip Wallace getting the better of his man, Brian Begley. In fairness to Begley, he wasn't the focus of his team's forward strategy but even so, he managed to slip in a goal before half time.
In the first 10 minutes the pattern began to emerge. Limerick's movement was excellent and created good chances for the forwards, who in turn picked them off.
All six were on target from play in the first half whereas Wexford neither created a supply nor did particularly well with the scraps.
Some frantic shuffling, with Leigh O'Brien moving to attack, made little difference and, remorselessly, Limerick motored out of sight. Neatly clipped points flew over and the ball made only fleeting visits to the vicinity of their goal. When Wexford built from the back the attack invariably ran out of steam somewhere around the 45, where interminable bouts of pass-the-parcel ended in dispossession or hopefully dispatched ball but rarely in penetration.
After a quarter of an hour the score was 0-5 to 0-1 and Limerick might have also had a goal when Stephen Kelly came through the middle on a burst but kicked his goal chance wide.
Wexford badly needed a lifeline. Matty Forde had a chance in the 17th minute but, while navigating a nimble route around Limerick goalkeeper Seamus O'Donnell, fouled the ball and conceded a free out.
Eleven minutes later, there was further disaster when an off-the-ball indiscretion culminated in corner back Colm Morris getting a straight red card, which will keep him out of next month's championship clash with Laois.
It took Wexford all of 26 minutes to register a second score, a free from Forde in the 33rd minute. He added another but just as the thought occurred that a six-point deficit, 0-3 to 0-9, wouldn't be a bad return for 35 minutes of pummelling, Limerick wing back Conor Mullane broke like an express and having tracked right through the centre of the defence placed Begley, who slid the ball into the net.
Limerick manager Liam Kearns said he was disappointed with the second half and certainly his team showed less urgency, but it was enough to extend their winning margin to 12 points.
Galvin delivered a second goal after some slick approach work by Begley and replacement Johnny Murphy in the 67th minute. It was no less than he deserved after generating and maintaining his team's early, decisive momentum and hitting the post with another goal attempt five minutes previously.
Twomey mobilised some of the players whom he had been resting, including dual player Rory Mallon, who made an impression in the second half.
Big David Fogarty also earned his manager's commendation but he suffered from his team's shapeless attacks and the preference for slow, lateral movement instead of early ball.
With time nearly up, Ford collected a second yellow card and was sent off. A more severe referee might have given him a straight red for the first incident but he can play in next month's championship.
Limerick now take their accelerating momentum to Croke Park to face Westmeath in the Division Two final. It is thought to be the county's footballers' first trip to HQ in 30 years.
LIMERICK: S O'Donnell; M Riordan, D Sheehy, T Stack; C Mullane, J Stokes, D Reidy; J Quane, J Galvin (1-2); S Lavin (0-2), M Gavin (capt, 0-5, 3fs), S Kelly (0-1); C Fitzgerald (0-2), B Begley (1-0), M Reidy (0-1). Subs: S Lucey for Stack (half-time); C Hickey for M Reidy (45 mins); P Ahern for Kelly (48 mins); J Murphy for Gavin (59 mins); P Browne for Mullane (65 mins).
WEXFORD: J Cooper; C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy; T Wall, D Murphy, L O'Brien; R Hassey, W Carley; P Carley, R Stafford, D Breen; C Deely, D Fogarty (0-2), M Forde (0-5, 2fs). Subs: R Mallon for Deely (24 mins); P Curtis for Wall (26 mins); J Hegarty for Stafford (42 mins); P Colfer for O'Brien (45 mins); T Mahon for P Carley (64 mins).
Referee: M Hughes (Tyrone).
