Cork-Dublin clash just the third hurling semi between counties

After Cork’s 1952 All-Ireland SHC final win over Dublin, the counties would not meet again in the hurling championship until 2007.

Six more meetings have taken place in the period since then, with Cork winning all of them. In total, the Rebels’ winning run against the Dubs stretches to 12 matches, dating back to the Leinster county’s triumph in the 1927 All-Ireland final.

The following year, the counties won their respective provinces again but, with Galway given a bye directly to the final, they met at the semi-final stage – Cork won that and would go on to easily defeat the Tribesmen in the decider.

Apart from 1928 and this year, the only other semi-final tie came in 2013, with Dublin having ended their 52-wait for a Leinster title and Cork having responded to their Munster final loss by beating Kilkenny in the quarter-final.

In the provincial decider, a red card for Patrick Horgan had hampered Cork while Henry Shefflin’s dismissal had proven disadvantageous for the Cats in the quarter-final. In the semi, another instance of a player being ordered off would be a factor.

In the 50 minutes where both sides had a full complement, it was a heavyweight tussle as the scores were run up at a breathless pace. Daniel Kearney and Lorcán McLoughlin, effective at midfield all year, combined brilliantly, their mobility allowing the ball to keep moving, but Dublin were showing no ill-effects of the Leinster win as Danny Sutcliffe, Paul Ryan and David O’Callaghan were reeling off scores.

David Treacy’s goal had put the Dubs 1-9 to 0-11 ahead and while Cork – with Pa Cronin and Séamus Harnedy winning a lot of ball at half-forward – had pushed a point ahead at half-time, it was 1-16 to 0-18 when the Dubs’ Ryan O’Dwyer saw red.

Cork stayed composed, with Conor O’Sullivan operating superbly as the spare man in defence. They had moved one ahead when Patrick Horgan’s goal, poking home the loose ball after goalkeeper Gary Maguire failed to control, gave them more breathing space and there were five points in it at the end, 1-24 to 1-19.

They were in the final, and a week later Clare’s win over Limerick in the other semi-final set up what would be a fifth meeting of the counties in 2013. A sixth would of course be required after Domhnall O’Donovan’s late equaliser denied Cork in the final, with the Banner taking victory in the replay.