Munster Hurling League: Experimental Cork well beaten by stronger Limerick side

Limerick 1-28

Cork 0-16

Experience counted heavily as Cork’s Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League campaign began with defeat to Limerick at TUS Gaelic Grounds on Wednesday night.

With the starters from last year’s All-Ireland final still in cold storage and college players preluded from lining out, Ben O’Connor’s side was again a mix of newcomers and those pushing for greater game-time. However, a crowd of 2,362 witnessed a Limerick team featuring more big names play with a greater slickness – though the visitors were not helped by a worrying turnover rate on their own puckouts, both long and short.

While Colin O’Brien did have the game’s opening score in the first minute, it was the only time Cork led, with a pair of Tom Morrissey points putting Limerick in front. Morrissey, Peter Casey and Cian Lynch provided ten first-half points between them as the Shannonsiders amassed a 0-16 to 0-7 half-time lead – and that despite having 11 wides to just two for Cork, the first of those coming five minutes before half-time.

The closest either side came to a goal in the opening period was when a turnover afforded Jack O’Connor the chance to run at the Limerick defence – his low effort was well-placed but Colin Ryan in the Limerick goal did well to keep it out. Colm McCarthy did ensure that Cork took a point from that phase of play to leave it 0-4 to 0-2 with seven minutes gone but by the 16th it was 0-10 to 0-4 in favour of the hosts, for whom Will O’Donoghue was able to dictate matters at centre-back.

Long-range efforts in quick succession from wing-back Matthew Fitzgerald and Lynch moved them seven ahead and, while Cork wing-back Tom Hanley – who did show up well for the most part – replied, the hosts had four of the last five points of the half.

The lead might even have been more had John English’s surging run not been halted illegally following a good catch from Gearóid Hegarty.

The 2020 hurler of the year was playing at corner-forward and had been influential in the first half despite not being among Limerick’s eight scorers. That statistic looked like changing in the 35th minute when Donnacha Ó Dálaigh’s pass across gave him a goal chance; while he sidestepped goalkeeper Brion Saunderson, Ger Millerick – excellent throughout - was there to make an intervention.

By that stage, Limerick had outscored Cork by 0-4 to 0-1 since half-time and Morrissey converted the 65 that accrued and another from a free immediately afterwards.

The lead stretched to 14 points, 0-23 to 0-9, before Cork had a mild flurry with points from Seán Desmond, Cathal McCarthy (free) and Jack Cahalane but it was only brief respite.

Limerick led by 0-23 to 0-12 when sub Hugh Flanagan – who had gone close shortly beforehand – set up Ó Dálaigh for a goal and 15 points separated the sides at the end.

Scorers for Limerick: T Morrissey 0-6 (0-3 f, 0-2 65), D Ó Dálaigh 1-3, P Casey 0-4, C Lynch, J English 0-3 each, P O’Donovan 0-2, D O’Donovan, C Thomas, M Fitzgerald, G Hegarty, M Casey, J Finn, J Cosgrove 0-1 each.

Cork: C McCarthy 0-3 (0-2 f), S Desmond, R O’Flynn, B O’Sullivan (0-2 f) 0-2 each, T Hanley, C Tobin, Colin O’Brien, J O’Connor, J Cahalane, M Barrett 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: C Ryan; E Stokes, S Finn, B Murphy; C Thomas, W O’Donoghue, M Fitzgerald; C Lynch, D O’Donovan; J English, P Casey, T Morrissey; G Hegarty, D Ó Dálaigh, P O’Donovan.

Subs: J Fitzgerald for O’Donovan, M Casey for O’Donoghue (both half-time), E Hurley for P Casey (43), D O’Shea for Thomas, H Flanagan for Lynch (both 46), J O’Connor for Hegarty, J Cosgrove for P O’Donovan, J Finn for Fitzgerald (all 56).

CORK: B Saunderson; C Doolan, E Roche, G Millerick; T Hanley, E Twomey, C Tobin; C Darcy, J Kearney; Colin O’Brien, C McCarthy, J O’Connor; R O’Flynn, S Desmond, J Cahalane.

Subs: B O’Sullivan for Colin O’Brien, Cormac O’Brien for Kearney (both half-time), J Casey for Tobin, B O’Flynn for Darcy, M Barrett for McCarthy (all 52).

Referee: T Walsh (Waterford).