Treaty United had something to celebrate on Friday night as they came from behind to beat Finn Harps 2-1 at the Markets Field.
In a season short on consistency, Billy Regan’s second-half winner secured three points for the Shannon-siders, adding a much-needed positive note to a bizarre week for football in Limerick. For Finn Harps, already anchored to the bottom on 25 points, the night offered little consolation.
Harps captain Tony McNamee registered the opening attempt of the night, comfortably gathered by Treaty goalkeeper and captain Jack Brady. Brady has been one of the constants in what has been a turbulent season for the “Superblues” and was once again called upon as the Donegal side looked to exploit the gaps in a Treaty defence that has been forced into constant change.
Treaty struggled to build any real rhythm, with long balls dominating the opening exchanges. Colin Conroy provided some of the home side’s brighter moments, sending a number of balls forward, including one which eventually found leading Treaty scorer Cian Curtis. Curtis’ involvement led to a chance for Ben Feeney, but his effort failed to test Corey Sheridan in the Harps goal.
With only a few minutes remaining before the break, Harps’ Oran Brogan went down after making contact with Curtis. Advantage was played, the ball finding Aaron McLaughlin, who slipped beyond the Treaty defence and slotted the ball into the net to put Finn Harps ahead.
Treaty’s response was almost immediate.
A long ball from Sheridan found Regan beyond halfway, with the ball then pinging between players before eventually falling to Feeney. The Treaty forward made no mistake, firing through Sheridan’s legs to restore parity in first-half stoppage time.
Just before the hour mark, Tommy Barrett made his first changes, introducing Colm Whelan and Ronan Manning. Manning, who has shown flashes of quality during a difficult campaign, brought some much-needed energy to the Treaty attack. With 25 minutes remaining, Whelan kept a long ball alive before Manning returned it into the box, finding the head of Regan, who sent the Markets Field into celebration.
Harps pushed forward in search of an equaliser and came close in the 73rd minute when a cross from Ciaron Harkin threatened to catch Brady out. The Treaty captain reacted quickly, getting a hand to the ball and tipping it over the crossbar.
It was as close as Harps came.
The final whistle confirmed a 2-1 Treaty victory, their ninth win of the season, but the mood among the home support was far from celebratory. As the players left the pitch, chants from sections of the Treaty support reflected the frustration that has built throughout a difficult campaign.
Treaty United will return to the Markets Field on October 2 when UCD make the trip to Limerick.
Elsewhere Around The League
There was plenty of movement around the play-off places on Friday night, with the race for fifth remaining tightly contested.
Cobh Ramblers and Athlone Town shared the spoils in a six-goal thriller at St Colman’s Park, drawing 3-3, while Kerry FC kept themselves in the play-off conversation with a 1-0 win over Wexford, Sean McGrath scoring the only goal.
Bray Wanderers also strengthened their position with a 3-1 away win over UCD, while Cork City suffered a 2-1 defeat to Longford Town despite already being crowned First Division champions.
Treaty United
#1 – Jack Brady ©, #5 – Billy Regan (67′ goal), #8 – Colin Conroy, #9 – Cian Curtis, #10 – Roy Lawlor (59′ Colm Whelan), #11 – Mark Byrne (59′ Ronan Manning), #15 – Ben Feeney (45+1′ goal; 84′ Richkov Boevi), #18 – Jason Oyenuga (84′ Dare Kareem), #27 – Robbie Lynch, #29 – Kyle Foley, #44 – Kilian Cantwell
Substitutes: Killian Fitzpatrick, Richkov Boevi, Steven Healy, Eric Yoro, Brian Cunningham, Mark Walsh, Ronan Manning, Colm Whelan, Dare Kareem.
Finn Harps
#1 – Corey Sheridan, #5 – Oran Brogan (38′ yellow card; 77′ Adam McDaid), #6 – Joel Bradley-Walsh, #7 – Bernardo Dos Santos Monteiro (85′ Charlie Bonner), #8 Max Hutchinson, #10 – Tony McNamee (c) (79′ Bridel Bosakani), #14 – Darragh Coyle, #18 – Ciaron Harkin (77′ Adam McDaid), #23 – Finn McKenlay, #28 – Aaron McLaughlin (44′ goal; 78′ Guilherme Rego Priosti), #34 – James McAteer
Substitutes: Lorenzo Piai Barbosa, Ronan Ferns, Bridel Bosakani, Conor McGranaghan, Guilherme Rego Priosti, Adam McDaid, Troy Preston, Charlie Bonner.
Away From The Pitch
Away from the pitch, the future identity of football in Limerick remains uncertain following a week of competing statements over the Limerick FC name.
Limerick FC went out of business in 2020 after accumulating debts of around €490,000 and receiving a 26-point deduction in the Premier Division. Treaty United entered the League of Ireland the following year and has since sought to strengthen its connection with the city, including previous attempts to change its name.
On September 21, Treaty announced an agreement to use the Limerick FC name from the 2027 season. The announcement was quickly disputed by Limerick FC, which claimed that ownership of the name and associated intellectual property remains subject to an unresolved internal dispute and warned of possible High Court action over any unauthorised use.
The dispute has since widened, with Carew Limerick FC issuing its own statement following an emergency board meeting on September 23. Carew claims that rights connected to the Limerick FC identity were transferred to it during a 2025 handover, while also acknowledging competing claims over the name.
Carew said discussions with Treaty had taken place around a wider agreement involving the academy, young players, volunteers, facilities and the future structure of football in Limerick. It claims no overall agreement was reached, despite being prepared to relinquish its claimed rights to the Limerick FC identity as part of a wider settlement.
For now, the proposed return of the Limerick FC name for 2027 remains unresolved. With competing claims over the identity and wider questions around academy football and player pathways, the FAI is also being asked to clarify its role in the process.
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