Opinions from the grassy bank, or the back seat of a Nissan Micra.

It gets us every year.

In the build up to the start of the season, you are glued to websites, scanning for info on your team - signings, injuries, wild speculation, anything...anything at all which will sate your hunger for news. This season, the off-field shenanigans of a few clubs, ludicrously drawn out over a few months in Cork's case, provided some off-season sustenance.

But on the Limerick FC front, things were atypically quiet. That could be a good thing - last season, we parted ways with our manager just a couple of weeks before the season started, and lost a couple of our first team at the same time. On the other hand, the quiet also suggested that Limerick's transfer activiy had been fair limited, with the loss of Steven O'Flynn to Northampton town the only bit of business that made the radar (well, my radar at least). There were a couple of promising results in friendlies, most notably a 1-1 draw in Inchicore. Words from those who had travelled suggested that we'd be difficult to break down at the back. Words also that we were feeling the loss of O'Flynn. But theses are freindlies, league games are the only real litmus test.

And so I headed to Mervue with a certain degree of confidence. Ok, we're not world beaters, but with Cork, Derry, Waterford and Shels in the division, it'll be a pretty damn competitive promotion race this season, and we keep being told (and keep telling ourselves) that next season is when the promotion push will happen. Anyway, forget all that, it's Mervue first up - an easy three points, and I don't even have far to travel.

Omens were'nt great when a 29-seater bus turned up for about 40 fans. Somebody messed up at the bus company. No worries, my sister, an even more avid fan than I am, will drive. A naggin of Huzzar vodka will provide nutrition along the way.

We make up about 30% of the total attendance in Terryland I'd say, and are far superior in the first half. John Tierney slots home midway through the half, and we're flying. A blatant penalty is denied just before half time, but during the interval we tell each other that we're on top, and an early goal will kill the game completely. We almost believe it. But we know better. The early goal never materialises, and about fifteen minutes in, the referee interrupts a goalmouth scramble by proclaiming that the ball had crossed the line. Limerick players obey cliche by protesting to no avail. Most disappointing is that in the final thirty minutes, we create virtually nothing. After the game, we tell each other we were robbed - the penalty that wasn't given, the balled never crossed the line. We almost believe it.

Roll on Derry. There should be a decent crowd, including a few from the north. It's nice to wake up on a Friday morning and know that in just a few hours I'll be in Jackman, standing on our grassy terraces. It energises you through the day, but distracts you also. And when you arrive, the lights are on, the players are warming up, the ground is perhaps slightly fuller than usual, there's only twenty minutes till kick-off.

And we're off. Clarke drags his attempted lob wide when he should have scored. Fifteen minutes in, a Derry player slips the ball between keeper and near post. Ten minutes later, a red card for a silly, dangerous lunge, and we're up against it.
Derry could be out of sight by half time, but they're not. Another penalty shout in the second half goes against us. I'm not convinced it was a penalty but I tell everybody it was stonewall. We lauch one long ball after another into the Derry box, and by sheer weight of numbers, we fashion a few decent chances, but take none of them. Even a red for Derry late on doesn't inspire us. Derry are definitely relieved at the final whistle, but I get the impression we could have played all night without scoring. one point from six to start the season.

In the pub afterwards we lament our lack of firepower, our lack of combative midfielders, our overly-small full backs. Our lack of shape is a concern. If Kavanagh got injured, what would we do? We realise these are the same questions we asked ourselves all last season, but avoid pointing this out.

It's better to be positive. Longford in Jackman on Friday. A definite three points - sure they're rubbish. We just need a commanding performance with a win to get a season back on track. It's that simple.

I almost believe it.