Munster U20 hurling: Cork hold off spirited Limerick to make it three wins from three
Cork's Jack Leahy is fouled by Limerick's Cian Scully, during their Munster U20 Hurling Championship clash, at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: David Keane.
Cork made it three wins from three in the oneills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship on Friday night, but not without their credentials being severely tested by Limerick.
Victory means that, ahead of next week’s trip to Tipperary, Cork are guaranteed a semi-final place at worst. Unfortunately for Limerick, a third straight defeat ends their hopes of qualification but they never yielded in their quest, right up to a 64th-minute goal from a free by sub Tadhg Boddy reduced the gap to just two points.
In both halves, Cork had to deal with Limerick putting themselves in front. The Treaty men, perhaps taking note of how Clare troubled the Rebels at the same venue a fortnight ago by playing three inside forwards, came from 0-3 to 0-1 down to lead by 0-8 to 0-4 in the first half. Then, after Cork responded to lead by 0-14 to 0-12 at half-time, the visitors had the first three points after the restart.
Though Cork replied with a pair of points to lead by 0-16 to 0-15, Limerick forced a turnover and Con Hayes drove at the home defence before offloading to Fintan Fitzgerald, who had scored two of the points after half-time. A deft sidestep from the corner-forward allowed him to evade onrushing goalkeeper Paudie O’Sullivan and fire to the net.
The two-point lead didn’t last long though as William Buckley responded for Cork with a wonder-point from near the left endline and the sides were level for the eighth and final time after Jack Leahy’s ninth point on 43 minutes.
With Limerick forced into committing fouls, three quick Leahy frees gave Cork breathing space again and they moved six in front in the 50th minute as Buckley and sub Adam O’Sullivan combined to set up Walsh – another replacement – for the goal.
From there, Cork weren’t going to be denied, with full-back Kevin Lyons to the fore.
Even so, Limerick wing-back Cian Scully did add a couple of impressive late long-range points and Vince Harrington had a rasping shot tipped over by O’Sullivan. At the other end, Leahy brought his total to 14 points and Cork were safe before Boddy fired home at the death.
In the first half, as in the Clare match, Cork found themselves on the back foot. When referee Alan Tierney spotted an infringement close to goal on the quarter-hour and awarded a free, Oisín O’Farrell slotted over his sixth point of the evening and the visitors had an 0-8 to 0-4 lead.
What made things stranger was the fact that Cork had led by 0-3 to 0-1 in the third minute after successive points from William Buckley and Jack Leahy, but the Shannonsiders responded well. O’Farrell was on fire from open play and dead balls – he might have even had a goal following a pass from Fintan Fitzgerald, drawing a save from Paudie O’Sullivan, but he landed the subsequent 65 to make it 0-6 to 0-4.
With Cork sloppy, Limerick pushed on further but the four points was the biggest that lead became. Two quick frees from Jack Leahy stemmed the flow and by the 23rd minute the hosts’ number 9, Ben Walsh, tied the match at 0-9 each after linking with his midfield partner Mikey Finn.
Leahy then put Cork in front with his fifth point and, though Limerick replied as O’Farrell set up Shane O’Brien to level and Hugh Flanagan put them ahead with a nice point.
Four points on the trot from Cork – two by Healy of the highest order, bringing his tally to four, and a pair from Leahy (one free) to give him seven for the opening half – gave the Rebels a 0-14 to 0-11 lead before O’Farrell’s seventh in injury time left two in it at the break.
J Leahy 0-14 (0-10 f), D Healy 0-5, Barry Walsh 1-0, W Buckley 0-2, C Tobin, Ben Walsh, T O’Connell, E O’Leary 0-1 each.
O O’Farrell 0-9 (0-6 f, 0-1 65), F Fitzgerald 1-2, S O’Brien, C Scully (0-2 f) 0-3 each, T Boddy 1-0 f, V Harrington, R O’Farrell, H Flanagan 0-1 each.
P O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neills); D Cashman (Bride Rovers), K Lyons (Ballygarvan), D O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); J Dwyer (Ballincollig), O O’Regan (Erin’s Own), C Tobin (Bride Rovers); M Finn (Midleton), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); D Cremin (Midleton), T O’Connell (Ballincollig), D Healy (Lisgoold); W Buckley (St Finbarr’s), J Leahy (Dungourney), E O’Leary (Glen Rovers).
Barry Walsh (Killeagh) for O’Leary (44), A O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig) for Finn (48), P O’Shea (Erin’s Own) for Ben Walsh (51), T Wilk (Cobh) for Tobin (54), R O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for O’Connell (58).
P Connery; M Fitzgibbon, D Langan, D Fitzgerald; V Harrington, S Casey, C Scully; J Fitzgerald, M Fitzgerald; H Flanagan, C Hayes, R O’Farrell; F Fitzgerald, S O’Brien, O O’Farrell.
W Dore for M Fitzgibbon (half-time), D Ferland for R O’Farrell (46), J Fitzgibbon for M Fitzgerald (53), T Boddy for Hayes (54), B Adams for J Fitzgerald (56).
A Tierney (Tipperary).
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