2009 Flashback: Cork haunted to beat Limerick in Munster football final
Stephen Lavin, Limerick, reacts after missing a goal chance as Cork's Patrick Kelly and goalkeeper Alan Quirke look on, in 2009. Picture: Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE
IT might have been a golden age of Cork football but the Rebels were haunted to prevail in the '09 Munster final.
That they won despite scoring just 2-6, with one of the goals a dubious penalty, summed up how lucky they were to hold off the underdogs. Cork had been sublime in beating Kerry in a Munster semi-final replay a couple of weeks earlier and they didn't get close to replicating that form.
Injuries to Anthony Lynch and John Miskella, later awarded an All-Star for the 0-9 he scored raiding up from wing-back in the rest of the games, didn't help, but the unbackable 1/12 favourites were off the pace from throw-in.
At half-time, Limerick were 0-8 to 1-2 ahead but they only managed a point in the 20 minutes after break and Daniel Goulding's 1-2 in a three-minute burst was critical.
Ian Ryan and Seanie Buckley tormented Cork, hitting 0-7 between them, while Donncha O'Connor's penalty, after a foul on Goulding, was one of the few highlights for the hosts in an opening period when they were swarmed relentlessly. Stephen Kelly, out as a third midfielder, was critical to Limerick's game plan and apart from Goulding, only Graham Canty really excelled.
Somehow, Cork still won and ended up losing the All-Ireland final to Kerry come September having dethroned Tyrone in the semi.
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