Cork will have to hurl a lot better in Croke Park to have any chance of beating Limerick again

IT was a muggy day at FBD Semple Stadium but Cork avoided being mugged by Dublin with a solid if unspectacular display that sent them into an All-Ireland semi-final against Limerick.

They'll be underdogs on July 7 because they haven't replicated the form that saved their season in the provincial series over the last two Saturdays. Declan Dalton was a powerhouse at wing-forward, Patrick Horgan and Shane Barrett had some neat moments and in defence, Eoin Downey, Ciarán Joyce and Tim O'Mahony were the standouts.

Otherwise, Cork were fairly patchy and after going 0-23 to 0-15 up midway through the second half, struggled through the fourth quarter when they outscored 0-6 to 0-3. 

Robbie O'Flynn struck two class points off the bench but his teammates didn't use the sliotar well in the closing stages, when Dublin had pushed up and there was acres of space for Cork up front.

BLUNT

Dalton had a powerful drive pushed away and Patrick Horgan twice came close to first-half goals but overall, Pat Ryan's side lacked the cutting edge we expected.

Like the Offaly game, Alan Connolly couldn't get the sliotar in his paw and didn't have any possessions until two late bursts which ended in two Horgan frees. 

A definite concern was how much ball Dublin collected around midfield, as even though Darragh Fitzgibbon and Luke Meade shared 0-3, Conor Burke was heavily involved in the action.

Just a month ago, Cork fans flocked to Thurles absolutely buzzing from the Limerick win, but also extremely wary of Tipp. Their great rivals misfired completely in the second half but while Rebels were confident beforehand, they weren't cocky. 

This game was trickier because, even for those who understood Dublin are a far better team than the no-show against Kilkenny suggested, no one felt Cork could be caught. Sure Cork hadn't lost a championship game to the Dubs since 1927.

There was talk earlier in the week about Thurles not having to capacity to cater for the demand but the early Saturday throw-in times ensured that was never going to be an issue. Cork made up the majority of the attendance and even then there wasn't that electric championship buzz. 

The only loud 'Rebels, Rebels...' chants arrived in the closing stages when Dublin were hunting goals and Patrick Collins, Downey and Seán O'Donoghue made some timely interceptions.

It isn't hurling snobbery to suggest All-Ireland quarter-finals should be the main event on a Sunday. Or at the very least, in prime time on Saturday, even if they did clash with soccer or rugby. Yet, the fare in FBD Semple Stadium was hardly box office.

Since Horgan overtook Joe Canning as the all-time top-scorer in championship in 2022, he's been involved in a joust with TJ Reid to hold that mantle. He was 10 points behind before facing Dublin and is now tied with the Kilkenny colossus. That honour isn't his priority from there, it's somehow finding a way to take down Limerick.

While Cork had to start Luke Meade due to an injury to Rob Downey, the Dubs made four changes beforehand. It reflected how unsettled they were by the clipping from the Cats, though the first half would have been livelier if they hadn't squandered so many chances, including three frees within range. Had Dublin been closer going into the second half, this would have been a tougher test of Cork. 

They're still standing, which is the main thing, but a huge improvement will be needed on Jones Road next month. Limerick will have the core of their injured players back available and will be fired up to get revenge for the defeat in the Páirc.

There's an idea that Croker will suit the athleticism and pace of the Cork squad but their opponents consider it home turf at this stage.