Cork 2-21 Limerick 0-29

ON the day that Cork honoured the memories of Tomas MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney by wearing a commemorative black jersey Limerick came away with the points from Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Overall Limerick were just about better, particularly in the first-half, but Cork upped their game after half-time and were a little unlucky not to get something from this encounter.

Limerick opened the scoring when Cian Lynch pointed, with Aaron Gillane adding a second from a free, Two frees from Patrick Horgan had Cork back on level terms, 0-2 apiece with five minutes gone.

Seamus Flanagan put the visitors back in front, with Gillane scoring again.

Shane Kingston got Cork's first point from play, one of only two in the first-half from play with Declan Dalton getting the other, with Horgan levelling it again from a free.

Limerick then enjoyed a period of dominance, with points from Lynch, Flanagan, Gillane and William O'Donoghue all scoring to make it 0-8 to 0-4.

Cork hit back with two frees from Horgan, but again Limerick responded with another four in-a-row, this time O'Donoghue hitting two, along with points from David Dempsey and Paddy O'Loughlin to make it 0-12 to 0-6.

Dalton pointed from a sideline and Horgan from free, but four frees from Gillane had Limerick well ahead, 0-17 to 0-9.

Horgan got the last two points of the half, both frees, to see Limerick lead 0-17 to 0-11 at half-time.

Horgan got two early frees to reduce the deficit, with Gillane and O'Donovan hitting back for Limerick. Horgan scored again to make it 0-15 to 09-19, but in the 43rd minute Cork were right back in it. 

Kingston latched onto a pass from Harnedy to score their opening goal and when Horgan scored from a free a few minutes later, they were back on level terms 1-17 to 0-20.

With 53 minutes gone it looked like being Cork's day when a brilliant catch by Aidan Walsh, from a Horgan free, saw him score Cork's second goal but again Limerick responded.

Two from Gillane, followed by a point from Hayes had the sides level again.

It was was score for score and with four minutes to go, a free from Horgan put Cork a point up, 2-21 to 0-26.

But that was to be their last score, with Hayes, Byrnes and Gillane all scoring to secure the win for the visitors.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 0-17 (0-15 f, 0-1 65), S Kingston 1-1, A Walsh 1-0, D Dalton 0-2 (0-1 sl), B Cooper 0-1.
Limerick: A Gillane 0-13 (0-11 f), D O'Donovan 0-3, C Lynch, S Flanagan, P O'Loughlin, K Hayes 0-2 each, W O'Donoghue, D Dempsey, D Byrnes (65), T Morrissey, G Hegarty 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; S O'Leary-Hayes, E Cadogan, C Spillane; T O'Mahony, B Cooper, R Downey; M Coleman, L Meade; R O'Flynn, S Harnedy, D Fitzgibbon; D Dalton, S Kingston, P Horgan.

Subs: A Walsh for L Meade (ht), C Lehane for D Dalton (56), C Joyce for T O'Mahony (69), C Cahalane for R O'Flynn (69).

LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, M Casey, A Costello; D Byrnes, D Hannon, P O'Loughlin; C Lynch, W O'Donoghue; G Hegarty, K Hayes, D O'Donovan; A Gillane, S Flanagan, D Dempsey.

Subs: G Mulcahy for D Dempsey, T Morrissey for G Hegarty (both 55), D Reidy for C Lynch (59), B Nash for P O'Loughlin (68), D O'Connell for S Flanagan (67).

Referee: Simon Cleere, Kilkenny.