Munster SHC: Cork outclassed by rampant Limerick
Cork's Tim O'Mahony and Limerick's Barry Nash tussle for the sliotar during the Munster SHC game at TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
If this is to be the first of two or three meetings between Cork and Limerick, the hope will be that it is not a portent of more.
Before a crowd of 42,477 at TUS Gaelic Grounds on Sunday, the winners of the last six Munster titles showed that they will be hard-stopped in going for a seventh, while the odds of the All-Ireland returning to Shannsonside have taken a strong swing.
There was never a stage where Cork led as they under-performed and the home side were in free-wheeling form. At half-time, the Limerick faithful towards the City End of the Mackey End rose to their feet, roaring their approval as their heroes retired, while the PA played U Can’t Touch This. It was all too fitting, unfortunately.
Cork had scarcely touched the Shannonsiders in an imperious opening-half display, with the scoreboard reading 2-18 to 0-9 in favour of John Kiely’s men. Even more ominously, they had let other goal chances behind them.
A 15-point half-time deficit had become 16 by the end, leaving Cork with a week to bounce back before facing Waterford. A win, coupled with an expected Limerick victory at home to Clare, will bring the Rebels back to the Ennis Road for the Munster final, but if that were to materialise, it would present a massive challenge.
Limerick’s Tom Morrissey had snaffled a pair of points in the opening minutes before Cian Lynch’s low ball to left corner was kept in by Aaron Gillane. He had some luck as Niall O’Leary slipped but still had much to do as he hared in along the endline before firing past Patrick Collins.
Three Cork points was the response to that but, including nice efforts from Mark Coleman and Robert Downey, but even in the midst of that burst Barry Nash almost got in for another Limerick goal, crowded out by good Cork defending.
That was a rare blip among a show of strength by Limerick all over the field. It was 1-7 to 0-4 when Limerick went close to a green flag again, O’Leary blocking from Shane O’Brien and Mark Coleman repelling Tom Morrissey’s follow-up effort.
Even then, a free accrued and Aaron Gillane tapped that over before corner-back Mike Casey rounded off a great move involving David Reidy and the excellent Adam English. Cork did occasionally threaten goals, chiefly with arrowed passes from Coleman to Brian Hayes – one in the 23rd minute led to a lay-off to Patrick Horgan, who drew a saw from Nickie Quaid and almost immediately Limerick had the ball over the bar again, through Gearóid Hegarty.
The lead had swelled to 1-12 to 0-6 when the outstanding Lynch found English on the run following a turnover and the midfielder blasted home.
Gillane went close with another – he was being fouled before shooting and sent over for the free to make it 2-15 to 0-7. By the break, they had 15 points to spare.
With the wind in the second half, Cork were able to make some more headway without ever threatening Limerick’s grip on the game. A run of four consecutive points – two from half-time sub Séamus Harnedy – only served to bring Cork to within 11, but too many other chances went astray while Hayes was unlucky to touch a Coleman sideline cut just wide on 54 minutes.
A goal did arrive on the hour when Horgan netted a free which had been brough inwards for dissent, leaving it 2-23 to 1-16 – the effect of that was cancelled out immediately as Eoin Downey was punished, somewhat harshly, as he grappled with Gillane under a dropping ball.
The attacker made no mistake with his penalty, bringing his tally to 2-8.
Horgan did rattle the crossbar late on as Limerick won by 16.
A Gillane 2-8 (1-0 penalty, 0-6 f), T Morrissey 0-5, A English 1-2, G Hegarty 0-3, P Casey, C O’Neill 0-2 each, D Byrnes, M Casey, C Lynch, D Reidy 0-1 each.
P Horgan 1-9 (1-7 f), S Harnedy 0-2, B Roche, S Barrett, R Downey, M Coleman, B Hayes 0-1 each.
N Quaid; M Casey, D Morrissey, S Finn; D Byrnes, K Hayes, B Nash; A English, W O’Donoghue; G Hegarty, C Lynch, T Morrissey; D Reidy, S O’Brien, A Gillane.
S Flanagan for O’Brien, C O’Neill for T Morrissey (51), P Casey for Reidy (59), C Coughlan for M Casey (67), A O’Connor for Byrnes (68).
P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; M Coleman, C Joyce, R Downey; T O’Mahony, E Twomey; D Dalton, D Fitzgibbon, S Barrett; P Horgan, B Hayes, A Connolly.
B Roche for Dalton (7, injured), C O’Brien for R Downey, S Harnedy for Twomey (both half-time), D Cahalane for O’Leary (56), R O’Flynn for Connolly (66).
L Gordon (Galway).
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