After all the Cork fans have been through it ends up all right for the Cork hurlers

‘After all that we've been through…..Still it ends alright’ 

As the Cork supporters danced and loudly sung the lyrics of that classic from The Frank and Walters after the final whistle, some of those words never seemed more apt, especially in the moment.

After all they have been through – both the players and the supporters – the day couldn’t have ended any better or more glorious than it did.

After all, after everything, all the pain and hurt and disappointment, particularly at the hands of Limerick, this victory was all the sweeter again when it was Cork that finally derailed Limerick’s bid for five-in-a-row immortality.

And yet, this was about much more than just stopping history – after the spellbinding match in Cork in mid-May, when everybody doubted if there could ever be a repeat, this was another one of the greatest games in the history of the sport. 

If anything, it was nearly more pure and authentic than what they produced in May. 

That night, only one team’s season was on the line. Everything was on the line here. And more.

Cork needed to reach a similar level from that night in May – and they emphatically did. 

Anytime Limerick get off 50 shots, there is normally only one winner. Yet Cork got off 49 shots. 

Their conversion rate was just one per cent better than Limerick’s. Tiny margins. But it was still enough.

When Limerick charged at Cork in the second quarter and had appeared to have wrestled back control, having six more shots in that period, one of the fears for Cork was that Limerick were beginning to wear them down. 

That fear was more acute again considering how Limerick usually dominate the third quarter. Yet it was Cork who began to bend the game to their will in that period, having six more shots than Limerick in that period.

When Limerick charged at Cork in the fourth quarter, there were shades of the 2018 All-Ireland semi-final and how Limerick hunted Cork down. Cork’s conversion rate was as low as 40 per cent in that quarter. 

They could have been punished if Shane O’Brien and Adam English had nailed late shots but Cork had done enough by then to deserve what they ultimately got.

From the first whistle, Cork had clearly come ready to take on Limerick at their own game, fully prepared and willing to go into the trenches and go to war with them, in the air and on the ground.

After taking on Limerick in the air in PUC in May, Cork abided by those same principles again here, always being fully prepared to engage Limerick in aerial combat. 

Of their 43 puckouts, Cork went long with 32 of them, mining 0-9 from that possession.

Cork needed to be brave but they also needed to do something that they had never managed against this Limerick team, especially when they only scored one goal – keep a clean sheet.

Patrick Collins was outstanding. 

The goalkeeper needed the assistance of some brilliant last-ditch defending from Seán O’Donoghue and Ciarán Joyce on a couple of occasions but that was the level of commitment required considering how hard it is to restrict green flags against Limerick.

Kilkenny and Waterford were the only teams to manage that in the last 12 months but both teams were still beaten by margins of nine and ten points. 

Limerick hit a total of 0-30 in both of those matches. They managed 0-29 on Sunday, which firmly underlined the importance of keeping that clean sheet.

And yet Cork could have had five goals. Alan Connolly was unlucky to be penalised for throwing the ball after setting up Brian Hayes for a disallowed goal in the first half.

Connolly also hit the side netting in that half. Patrick Horgan had a goal shot saved by Nickie Quaid. Hayes had another goal chance in the 26th minute but he settled for a point.

Hayes was a deserved man-of-the-match. 

As well as proving to be a constant irritation for Limerick under long dropping balls, especially from flicks, he scored 1-4, was fouled for a converted free and had a hand in another score. 

As the season has gone on, Hayes’s finishing has clearly got better.

Hayes siting close to goal enabled Connolly to play further out the field, which increased his possession numbers, and which threw Limerick slightly. 

Connolly had ten possessions, which he translated into 0-3 and an assist, while he should have had an assist for a goal.

Darragh Fitzgibbon wasn’t far behind Hayes as Cork’s best performer; from 19 plays, Fitzgibbon scored 0-3 and had assists for 0-6.

Seamus Harnedy also had a massive game; from 13 plays, Harnedy scored 0-4, had assists for 0-3, was fouled for a converted free and created two more scoring chances.

Everything about Cork was as measured as it needed to be. 

They clearly had a tactic to keep the ball away from Kyle Hayes, which worked; Hayes only had the ball in his hand on four occasions throughout the 70 plus minutes. 

That tactic also kept Declan Dalton out of the game but he still had a massive impact from his limited possession, while Dalton’s long placed-ball striking was imperious.

Cork also adapted as they needed to. Early on, the long ball tactic into their full-forward line wasn’t working, with Cork only winning one of the first six. 

But Cork adapted, running it more and then only going long when the option was on, especially when they were able to do so much shooting off their own puckout.

Cork needed to do everything they could to find a way. And they eventually did. 

After all they have been through, it ended more than alright.