Analysis: Patrick Horgan showed why he's a hurling legend but new faces and attitude also impress
Patrick Horgan celebrates with selector Wayne Sherlock after. Picture: INPHO/Evan Treacy
CORK don't need any reminding about the danger of reading into wins at this time of year.
They went up to Shannonside last spring, horsed into Limerick on the way to reaching the league final but still couldn't lay a glove on the All-Ireland champions come April.
Still, it was hugely enjoyable for the Leeside faithful in the bumper crowd of 19,516, to see their side reel in the Treaty when they looked in trouble at half-time. Trailing by eight points, guilty of nine wides, some of them very sloppy, and worse too loose in the middle third, it was hard to see Cork turning the tide.
A massive increase in work-rate and swarm tackling, persistence with direct deliveries inside, which yielded goals for Robbie O'Flynn and Declan Dalton, and the backing of the home support were all major factors in the 2-17 to 0-22 victory.
They had to win the game twice effectively. Having gone 2-14 to 0-18 ahead after a Patrick Horgan 65, a worrying ankle injury that saw the match delayed and O'Flynn stretchered off, completely shifted the momentum.
Cian Lynch came on, to a few jeers which was bizarre, and while he is still feeling his way back to sharpness, Limerick clipped four points on the bounce to retake the lead. Cork didn't panic and from newcomers Conor O'Callaghan, Eoin Downey, Tommy O'Connell and Brian Roche to the experienced Horgan and Luke Meade, hooked, blocked and harried in every sector.
Kingston earned the free that pulled Cork back to within a point, sub Conor Cahalane teed up Conor Lehane, who couldn't convert his possession into scores up to that stage, to level and the scene was set for someone to be a hero deep in the 10 minutes of injury time. Lehane had a penalty shout turned down before Cahalane brilliantly forced a sideline and Horgan sent Kingston clear from the tightest of angles to lance the sliotar between the posts.
The Cork fans soaked up the final whistle, heading off into the crisp night air with a Bank Holiday weekend to savour.
It was pulsating stuff for February with a bit of championship bite even if Limerick were well below full strength and lost Declan Hannon, their defensive bulwark, midway through the second half. They also withdrew Seamus Flanagan and Gearóid Hegarty, whose movement and quality caused endless problems in the opening period.
Naturally, debutant keeper David McCarthy didn't have the puck-out nous of Nickie Quaid and Cork picked off a few restarts. Patrick Collins was a steady presence for Cork at the other end, particularly in the second half.
It being the league, there was big interest in the fresh faces picked by Pat Ryan and his selectors. Eoin Downey, still U20, shackled Flanagan and drove up to bomb over a super score. Conor O'Callaghan was tenacious at corner-back and Brian Roche was everywhere in the second half, mirroring the unselfish efforts of Meade between the 45s.
Brian Hayes also made his debut off the bench, involved in the 65 Horgan converted, but his St Finbarr's club man Conor Cahalane had a real impact in his 15-minute cameo, after hurling two days earlier in the Fitzgibbon Cup for UCC.
Ciarán Joyce was a tank in the second half, after a tricky second quarter when Limerick sat off and passed around him, bursting out with the sliotar time and again, along with pointing. All the backs excelled in the third quarter though, including wing-backs Tommy O'Connell and Damien Cahalane and Niall O'Leary, on for the injured Seán O'Donoghue, and as nifty as ever at passing out from defence.
O'Flynn's pace electrified the Rebel masses and he took his goal brilliantly before assisting the second. He was picked up where he left off last summer, when he was Cork's best hurler throughout a tough campaign. The hope now is his injury won't impact his championship.
The official Man of the Match was Patrick Horgan and he was absolutely terrific as the head of the spear at 14. Turning 35 in May, coming off a knee injury and in the spotlight after his quotes at the league launch criticising last year's management for dropping him, he helped himself to 0-4 from play, had two assists and was fouled for two of his frees.
He soared and caught one high ball from the skies and ran himself into the ground, along with showing out in front for possession from the off. Horgan had to walk the walk after his honest talk in the build-up.
And what hurler is happy with a management team that drops him?
Early days for the new regime of course. Pat Ryan's crew have tougher tests ahead but what they'll be most pleased with are the battling qualities shown late on, mirroring the comeback against Tipp in the Munster Senior League last month.
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