The Limerick outfit are still in with a chance of clinching their first promotion since their debut campaign in 2021.
Treaty United’s hopes of reaching this year’s First Division promotion play-offs are still alive albeit by the slimmest of margins.
With three games remaining, the Limerick side sit sixth in a congested table after an impressive 3-2 win over Longford Town in Bishopsgate in Gameweek 33.
What lies ahead of Tommy Barrett’s men is the final three games of the season, where they will have to take a minimum seven points from a possible nine and hope other results go in their favour in order to make one of the play-off places.
The heat will be ramped up significantly this Friday as the Limerick men host ninth place Finn Harps. This game will have huge ramifications on both teams but also the sides who sit in and around them in the First Division who will be hoping for a draw.
With Galway United clinching the title in Tralee a fortnight ago against Kerry FC and Waterford Unted sitting comfortably in second, only three play-off spots remain, which are currently occupied Cobh Ramblers, Wexford Youths and Athlone Town.
With Treaty only competing at this level since 2021, two years on from the liquidation of the county’s previous club Limerick FC, the first few years were expected to be a struggle but Treaty’s league position would suggest otherwise. Manager Tommy Barrett spoke about the struggles his side face in comparison to some of the more established teams in the league.
“I keep saying it, we only get these lads together twice a week, other teams in the division are training four or five times a week, we need to get ourselves in a position where we can do that (train four/five times a week) but not at this moment in time”, Barrett said in a recent interview following his side’s 2-2 draw against Bray Wanderers.
“People might say that that doesn’t matter but of course it matters, its contact hours, the more contact hours, and time you spend with lads you can cut out those silly mistakes. A lot of the other teams can up the ante with their budgets increasing they can afford to train four or five times a week and we can’t at the moment”, he added.
A long road awaits them, but should Treaty push on and secure a play-off berth and potentially get promoted it would be a massive boost for the Limerick soccer scene.
GAA and rugby sporting exploits within the county and province are already well known and should soccer be added to that list, it would make for exciting times in the county.