Limerick 4-25 Down 1-9: Limerick's response to a change in management was a whopping 25-point win over an off-colour Down and their first brace of Division One B league points at the Gaelic Grounds, yesterday.

It was all over at the break as the Shannonsiders led 2-11 to 0-4. But indiscipline will be of concern to the management, who saw Donie Ryan and Brian Geary yellow carded in the second half.

Fringe player Pat Tobin availed of Donie Ryan's dismissal to end the game as top scorer with 1-6.

Limerick bared their teeth after just three minutes when teenager Alan O'Connor nipped inside Liam Clarke before shooting to the net.

Donie Ryan got goal number two on 17 minutes, by which stage Down's only response was a point from Gareth Johnson.

Down took brief encouragement from a Jonathan McCusker 42nd-minute goal. But there was no sympathy from Limerick and James O'Brien cracked in their third to leave it 3-16 to 1-6.

Pat Tobin then got into the act with a string of points and while Gareth Johnson, Eoin Clarke and Andy Savage had three on the trot for Down, Tobin sealed a great win with the fourth goal.

LIMERICK: G O'Connell; D Reale, TJ Ryan, M Foley (0-1); P O'Dwyer, O Moran, B Geary; P O'Grady, D O'Grady (0-1); A O'Connor (1-2), J O'Brien (1-1), N Moran (0-6); D Ryan (1-2), S O'Connor (0-2), D Sheehan (0-1). Subs: M Cahill (0-1) for TJ Ryan, K O'Dwyer (0-1) for A O'Connor, P Cahill for P O'Grady, JP Sheehan (0-1) for S O'Connor.

DOWN: G Clarke; L Clarke, S Murray, P Hughes; G Clarke, G Savage, C Coulter; S Wilson (0-3, one free), A Savage (0-1); B McGourty (0-1), G Johnson (0-3), S Clarke; J McCusker (1-0), M Coulter, E Clarke (0-1). Subs: A Bell for B McGourty, J O'Doherty for C Coulter, E Trainor for S Clarke.

YELLOW CARDS - Limerick: D Ryan (35 mins) replaced by P Tobin (1-6), B Geary (65 mins) replaced by D Breen.

Referee: P Green (Galway)