Freddy Hall has been in unyielding form in goal for top-of-the-table Limerick who have made a perfect start to their SSE Aircity League First Division campaign.

Limerick suffered heartbreak last season, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Finn Harps in a promotion/relegation play-off tie, but are well set to return to the top flight at the first time of asking.

Hall has conceded just five goals this season, with Limerick taking maximum points from their seven matches to open up a ten-point lead at the top of the table.

The Bermuda goalkeeper, who agreed a two-year deal in November despite attracting interest from several Irish Premier Division sides, said Limerick’s superb start to life in the second tier reflected their determination to gain promotion.

“I think [this season] is harder than it looks,” Hall told the Limerick Leader. “We score goals and play attractive football at times but we’re playing on pitches that are extremely difficult and we’re really struggling in that sense.

“We have one goal — that’s promotion. We know where Limerick should be. Just as the fans are heartbroken, we’re heartbroken as well.”

Hall joined Limerick in July last year after suffering relegation with English non-League side Telford United.

His outstanding performances helped lift Limerick — who had failed to win any of their 18 matches — off the bottom of the table, gathering 23 points from their final 12 games.

He admits it took him time to come to terms with Limerick’s painful relegation, especially having come so close to completing the most unlikely of escapes.

“It took a while to get over,” he said. “We were so close yet so far away. It was unbelievable — everyone had written us off.

“From the moment I got to the team in July, you couldn’t tell confidence or the morale of the team was low. That’s down to the gaffer. He was never down on the team. He was always instilling confidence. It really showed in the first win. Once we were able to pick up points, that got us going.

“It’s heartbreaking to even think about it now, but it’s how it goes sometimes.”

Hall’s nomadic career has included spells at English clubs Northampton Town, Burton Albion, Chester and Oxford City, as well as a season in Major League Soccer with Toronto FC.

The former St George’s goalkeeper, who missed Bermuda’s preliminary-round Caribbean Cup qualifiers last month, believes his experiences on both sides of the Atlantic were important lessons in his development.

“They [Toronto] were in the MLS,” he said. “When I got there, they were struggling. They were rebuilding in a sense. They’ve a really good team in the sense that they havea great set-up and a lot of young players.

“You can see now how they’ve gradually built it up over time. It was a good time — I really enjoyed myself.

“It’s a good lifestyle. Toronto is a beautiful city. It’s comparable to New York. I was well taken care of. With Toronto, we flew everywhere. We hadn’t a choice. When I came back playing after Toronto, I went to Burton Albion. They were a club that definitely had a great structure in place.

“The chairman wanted to do it in steps. You can see the benefits of it now because they’re on the verge of yet another promotion.”

According to Hall, the top teams in the SSE Aircity League Premier Division compare favourably with Sky Bet League One and Two teams in England.

“A good amount of the Premier Division sides would be well able to play in League One or League Two,” Hall added.

“Look at Dundalk — they’re more than capable of challenging in League One. The run we went on last year shows we’re capable of playing great football.”

After a stop-start career, Hall is hoping he may have finally found a place to settle in the Munster province thanks to the family atmosphere at his club.

“I didn’t really know what to expect in Limerick,” Hall said. “Coming over, my agent [Dan Chapman] told me that if I liked it, we’d work on things.

“I’ve really enjoyed it. I like the city and I’m very settled. That’s what made it easier for me to stay on for another two years at least.

“Working with the gaffer [Martin Russell] and Eddie [Hickey, the goalkeeping coach] makes a lot of things easier, too. It’s a nice city.”