Allianz Football League, Division Three
Antrim 0-11 Limerick 2-9
ANTRIM were made to pay for a slow start at Corrigan Park on Saturday as Limerick handed them defeat in Division Three of the Allianz Football League.
The visitors raced into an early seven-point lead and whilst the Saffrons made inroads into the gap, they could get no closer than two as the Shannonsiders withstood second half pressure to finish well and claim a deserved win.
Antrim just didn't reach the heights of last week in Enniskillen as they were rocked by that poor start and it took them some time to get much going in attack until they found themselves eight behind.
The conditions didn't help with the swirling wind, but then both teams had to adapt and Limerick just did so better as they created the better chances to build a platform for their win.
"It's just really disappointing - the start was shocking," admitted Antrim manager, Enda McGinley.
"In those conditions it was was always going to be a fairly low-scoring game, so giving them a pretty cheap seven-point head start was very difficult.
"After that, it was basic errors. The boys kept trying and working and over the rest of the game, but it was handling errors, passing errors was a further hold-back on us trying to make inroads, but take that really bad start out of it, in general there was decent work done in places.
"But look, there is no getting away from it that it is a wake-up call after a what was a good opening win against Fermanagh, but one where there were still issues.
"In the first half in particularly, I don't think we measured up to the pace and intensity of what we should be bringing to a big game."
Ryan Murray tries to get out of a challenge
With a swirling wind that was more of an assistance to Limerick in the opening half, the visitors enjoyed an excellent start as Peter Nash burst up along the left and squared for Cian Sheehan to palm home on two minutes.
After Adrain Enright added a point after a patient build-up, the Treatymen bagged their second goal on 10 minutes. This time, Hugh Bourke showed quick thinking after taking a mark to spot Peter Nash in space inside and the wing-forward was only too happy to gather and steer past Oisin Kerr.
Antrim were having issues penetrating the Limerick defence and it required Odhran Eastwood to get them on the board after claiming a mark and Tomás McCann added another from a free after Enright has lashed over at the other end.
Josh Ryan would land a long free and then James Naughton profited after the Antrim kick-out malfunctioned straight after, but the hosts began to find a little more space in attack with Jamie Gribbin and Ricky Johnston splitting the posts from the right.
Another Antrim kick-out error would lead to a score for Hugh Bourke and while Ruairi McCann landed a 45 in stoppage time to leave the hosts trailing 2-5 to 0-5 at the half, they would have preferred had Paddy McAleer's rasping shot not been turned around the post by Donal O'Sullivan which preceded it.
Antrim began the second period much brighter with Ryan Murray kicking two fine points from play and he added another brace from frees as the gap was whittled down to two.
Limerick were now the team having difficulty going forward as the hosts were on the front foot, but crucially, the Munster outfit were able to keep their noses in front despite it taking until the 62nd minute for them to add to their tally with Josh Ryan kicking a free.
This point broke the Antrim momentum with Peter Nash scoring on the turn to make it a two-score game.
Paddy McAleer is surrounded by green jerseys 
Antrim needed a goal to reignite their charge, but they could not penetrate the Limerick defence and had to be content with pointed frees from Murray and Ruairi McCann in the closing stages, other side of points for Nash and Killian Ryan for Limerick who were worthy winers in the end to maintain their fine start to the season.
"I'm around long enough to know it was a fantastic start," said Limerick manager, Billy Lee.
"It wasn't the set plays that were doing that, but just playing on the front foot as best we could.
"Antrim have hit us hard at the start of the second half in the last three games we've played so we had to be ready for that.
"It's fantastic (getting the good start), but you still have to go and play. A young team wouldn't have the maturity to realise that, but we're getting older and wiser now."
ANTRIM: O Kerr; E McCabe, R Johnston (0-1), J McAuley; P Healy, J Laverty, D McAleese; M McCann, K Small; R Murray (0-5, 3 frees), J Gribbin (0-1), P McAleer; T McCann (0-1 free), R McCann (0-2, 45, free), O Eastwood (0-1 mark).
Subs: M Jordan for P Healy (48), C Murray for D McAleese (56), P McBride for O Eastwood (59), S McGarry for T McCann (66), P McCormick for P McAleer (66)
LIMERICK: D Ó Sullivan; J Liston-Gerrald, S O’Dea, P Maher; C Sheehan (1-0), I Corbett, C McSweeney; D Treacy, A Enright (0-2); T Griffin, J Ryan (0-2, 45, free), P Nash (1-2); B Donovan, H Bourke (0-1), J Naughton (0-1).
Subs: K Ryan-Mungret (0-1) for T Griffin (48), G Brown for C McSweeney (48), T McCarthy for C Sheehan (52), E Cregan for P Maher (53), D Kelly for J Naughton (70+3)
REFEREE: Paul Faloon (Armagh)
