Talking points from Cork hurlers' big league win over Limerick
Cork's Shane Barrett and Darragh O'Donovan of Limerick battle for possession. Picture: INPHO/Bryan Keane
On the one hand, a team that has won the last two All-Ireland titles isn’t necessarily going to be at the top of their game for every spring outing but at the same time, there is a point when the ‘only the league’ excuse runs out of road.
That’s not to write off Limerick by any means, but their management will be disappointed that fringe players given a chance didn’t make the most of that.
Four of their nine wides were from frees while they had just three points from play.
They played poorly, there is no question of that, but some credit for that must go to Cork for pressuring them into mistakes and putting them on the back foot. If one were being churlish, the fact that Limerick ‘won’ the second half by five points rather than Cork pushing on was a disappointment, but the key thing was the victory.
Ciarán Joyce didn’t have a perfect game, but what makes that all the more encouraging for Cork is that (a) it shows he is capable of reaching a high ceiling and (b) the mistakes he made didn’t knock a spot off him and he was able to bounce back in a performance that made a mockery of the fact that he is U20 again this year.
With two All-Ireland medals in that grade, he is more than ready for the step up to senior level and it would be a huge surprise if he isn’t starting when Cork renew rivalry with Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in the opening round of the Munster SHC in just under seven weeks.
While not man-marking Cian Lynch, the Castlemartyr man funnelled back to cut off the supply lines to the Limerick centre-forward, doing much to ensure that he couldn’t influence the game as he can.
Cork only had a point from the substitutes introduced – a fine score from Jack O’Connor, who was unlucky not to get another – and in another day that might be a cause for concern, but the calibre of the players available underlined how Cork now have a strong panel.
Conor Cahalane – on for Mark Keane, who had a tough day apart from an excellent crossfield pass leading to a Patrick Horgan point – did much in terms of winning dirty ball, while O’Connor gave Cork an outlet that they lacked in the wake of Kingston’s red card.
Add in Alan Connolly and Séamus Harnedy as well as the fact that Luke Meade, Robert Downey, Damien Cahalane and Alan Cadogan were not involved and the competition for places gets even tougher.
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