Analysis: Cork hurlers must blend running game with direct ball to recover from Limerick loss

CORK'S status as rank outsiders in the All-Ireland hurling series was laid bare in Thurles.

Limerick were well below their dominant best but still finished eight points ahead and could afford the luxury of 20 wides, with All-Star forwards Aaron Gillane and Tom Morrissey held scoreless from play. There was no stage in the second half when Cork looked like upsetting the champions.

They certainly didn't come close to engineering the goals in the last quarter that were required to knock such a hardened outfit from their stride. Sub Alan Connolly was sent into the edge of the square as a desperation move late on but the Treaty rearguard had squeezed in tight around the D at that juncture. And bringing on Connolly that late, which rules him out of 2021 U20 championship (but not the delayed All-Ireland final from last year, which takes place on Saturday), was odd.

There were decent performances for sure. 

At 35, Eoin Cadogan was immense at wing-back and saw Morrissey withdrawn while Seán O'Donoghue was also excellent at curbing Gillane. 

Rookie Ger Millerick was thrust into midfield and had to keep tabs on Cian Lynch but rose to the challenge. Lynch pilfered 0-3 but Millerick hurled plenty of ball himself.

Shane Barrett was deployed from the bench in the second half and nailed two lovely scores, while Jack O'Connor clipped 0-3 and along with Darragh Fitzgibbon was Cork's main threat powering through from deep.

Cork have something to take into the qualifiers and left to rue an uncharacteristic first-half penalty miss from an off-colour Patrick Horgan. The Rebel talisman also miscued five frees on an evening when they couldn't afford to spurn any chances.

Cork's best hurling came in the first half.

Until Peter Casey was sent to the sin-bin after 24 minutes, it was exactly the type of cagey, tactical battle they needed it to be. Mark Coleman was able to sit deep thanks to Millerick's efforts, and Tim O'Mahony was foiling Gearóid Hegarty.

Shane Kingston's clinical goal came from a high-risk but well-worked short puck-out routine and Cork clearly had belief in their approach.

Scores were at a premium. Cork were dogged.

Casey's temporary dismissal was harsh, a free looked the more obvious call than a penalty for preventing a goalscoring chance when Conor Cahalane was dragged down. We wouldn't have minded had Horgan buried it but the save gave Limerick a clear lift. And they upped the gears all over to compensate for being down to 14, with Hegarty starting to field puck-outs and Lynch thieving a pair of sweet scores.

The movement of Robbie O'Flynn and Seamus Harnedy was opening up pockets of space but their touch betrayed them at times. 

Cork managed just 0-2 to Limerick's 0-4 in Casey's absence but worse when he returned to the fray, they were caught for the two goals that effectively decided the game. 

If Darragh O'Donovan was fortunate his shot was deflected, Kyle Hayes' finish was sizzling. Frustrating from a Cork perspective was, like Calum Lyons last winter, it was a raiding wing-back that did the damage. Six points down at the break, Cork's cause looked lost.

Cork hung in there by outscoring Limerick 0-5 to 0-2 coming up to the second water-break and another two points just after it: 2-16 to 1-15. That was as good as it got though.

The lack of an out-ball inside, with Horgan shackled, was an issue though. A few looping crossfield deliveries into the Cork captain gave him no chance and a better blend of possession and early ball up top.