U20 hurling talking points: Wides, senior prospects and that goal...

THAT GOAL:

The umpires failed to spot that the sliotar was touched against the roof of the net by Eoin Horgan from a long William Buckley delivery. Replays highlighted how poorly the officials had done. 

Should have been a Cork Goal 100%. pic.twitter.com/gjzDZaGh1b

— Buff Egan (@buff_egan) May 24, 2024

The referee should also have sounded his whistle for the Tipp full-back lying on the sliotar and making no attempt to play it when it broke into the small square.

As egregious as the no-call was, Cork were the the architects of their downfall as their shooting was erratic throughout. And the Premier raised a green flag when the otherwise impressive Cillian Tobin was turned over on a short puck-out.

The Rebels fired wides from all angles, 16 of them, where Tipp were far more clinical with just six. 

Diarmuid Healy was also hauled back late on for a tap-over free that would have resulted in a black card and penalty at senior level.

LEADERSHIP:

As they had in the Munster semi-final away to Clare, Cork showed real character when they fell five points behind midway through the second half. Captain Darragh O'Sullivan raided upfield to lance over two majestic points, his brother Adam added pace off the bench, while Ross O'Sullivan sniped 0-2.

Kevin Lyons was under serious pressure but burst out with possession time and again, as did Tobin in the six geansaí. Diarmuid Healy and Hugh O'Connor continued to show under the dropping ball.

Brendan Cummins' side had torn Cork apart in the group stages at Semple Stadium but rode their luck late on, even if Darragh McCarthy's soaring score from the left flank was a worthy match-winning point.

SENIOR PROSPECTS:

The majority of this team are out of U20 next season. They concluded their Cork underage careers not on the high note they hoped, but with minor and U20 All-Ireland medals.

As we've seen in recent months, the gap to senior is greater than ever, between the reduction of the age grade from U21 and the advances in S&C. 

The only 21-year-old currently featuring is Eoin Downey, with Ben Cunningham and Micheál Mullins still waiting to break through.

Still, the skill and speed of Buckley and the O'Sullivans, the attacking prowess of Jack Leahy and Healy. and the heft of Tobin, Lyons and James Dwyer, means they're all to in the mix to move up the ranks.

Plus Timmy Wilk, Ross O'Sullivan, the Walsh cousins, Ben and Barry, and Adam O'Sullivan, will still be U20 in 2025.

An interesting dilemma awaits Hugh O'Connor, the U20 football captain, who was a surprise recruit to the hurling set-up. The Newmarket club man is raw but that paw puts him on Pat Ryan's radar.

CORK SCORERS:

Jack Leahy 1-43 (0-32 f);

William Buckley 0-19 (0-4 f, 0-1 65);

Diarmuid Healy 0-13;

Ross O'Sullivan 1-3;

Barry Walsh 1-2;

James Dwyer 0-5;

Mikey Finn 0-5 (0-1 f);

Ben Walsh, Eoin O'Leary 0-3 each;

Darragh O'Sullivan, Tadhg O'Connell, Adam O'Sullivan, Timmy Wilk 0-2 each;

Cillian Tobin, David Cremin, Hugh O'Connor 0-1 each;

Paudie O'Sullivan 0-1 (pen).