The Mayor of Limerick recently unveiled a statue of the city’s most famous son – Sir Terry Wogan – in the city centre.
The genial Irishman would have had a big smile on his face if he was looking down on this game.
Charlton surrendered a 2-0 half-time lead on a wet and windy night at Market Fields, to go down 3-2. Stephen Kenny, Shane Tracy and Chiedozie Ogbene scored the goals for the Super Blues.
Karl Robinson took no chances with his squad, and he left a number of players out. Some were rested, while others were nursing minor knocks.
The manager was still able to make nine changes during the course of the game though, Karlan Ahearne-Grant and Regan Charles-Cook were the two players who lasted the whole 90 minutes.
Cristian Ceballos replaced Cameron Stewart at half-time, and was the pick of Robinson’s team on the night.
After 20 minutes, Limerick conceded a corner on the left. The ball was swung in, headed goalwards by skipper, Jason Pearce, and nodded home from close range by Joe Aribo.
Nine minutes later, the Addicks doubled their advantage. Cameron Stewart’s free-kick was nodded back by Pearce for Josh Magennis to head home.
But the hosts quickly squared things up after the break. First, Kenny’s cross shot deceived Dillon Phillips, then Tracy’s free-kick went in via the crossbar.
Both sides went looking for the winner, and the Super Blues sealed the game after 79 minutes.
Ogbene ran through to coolly slip the ball past Ashley Maynard-Brewer.
On a bad night results wise, Carshalton came from behind to beat Jason Euell’s Under-23 team 2-1.
Limerick have been playing since March, and gave Robinson’s team the kind of work out the manger wanted.
Charlton will now travel back to Dublin to face UCD on Wednesday.
Charlton: Phillips (Maynard-Brewer 71); Charles-Cook, Konsa (Bauer 60), Pearce (Sarr 60), Barnes (Teixeira 60); Stewart (Ceballos 46), Crofts (Jackson 60), Aribo (Dijksteel 60), Ahearne-Grant; Magennis (Marshall 60), Watt (Clarke 55).
Goals: Aribo 20, Magennis 29.
Limerick: Hall; Costelloe, Crowe , O’Connor, Tracy; Turner (Kenny 46), O’Conor, Duggan (Lynch 46), Cameron; O’Flynn, Mulhill.
Goals: Kenny 48, Tracy 56, Ogbene 79.
Referee: Graham Kelly.