Barry Walsh scores 2-9 as Cork U20 hurlers pick up first victory

Cork 4-18

Limerick 0-21

Cork U20s overcame a slow start to record a comfortable Fulfil Munster U20HC victory over Limerick on Wednesday night.

While the Rebels conceded four of the first five points, they rallied well to lead by 2-11 to 0-11 at half-time. An unanswered 1-2 on the resumption put Cork in an impregnable position, strengthened by a man advantage after a black card - Barry Walsh's goal from the resultant penalty part of a 2-9 tally.

A fourth goal, scored by Johnny Murphy after Denis Fitzgerald – ostensibly playing in the full-back line but often found further up due to man-marking duties and then turning the tables – kept a ball alive.

When sub Colm Garde got his second, it was 4-14 to 0-12, though that was the apex of the advantage as ten-minute scoreless period allowed Limerick to reel off five in a row, with sub Tadhg Boddy impressive. The visitors couldn’t force a goal to shake the Cork supremacy though, as Fitzgerald was on hand to deny Cathal Dennehy.

By the end, Cork had nine to spare, leaving them well set ahead of their next outing, away to Waterford in a fortnight.

A week ago in their opener against Tipperary, Cork offered up a six-point lead from the start and were a point up by the break, but a man down; here, they did something similar but with more favourable margins both ways and with the full complement for the second half.

While Cork had the wind in the opening half, Limerick had the first three points as Hugh Flanagan and Dara Ferland started well. Barry Walsh did get Cork off the mark when play was called back for a free after Johnny Murphy went close to a goal; however, two other dead balls were wasted – one a blocked goal attempted – as the Shannonsiders moved into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute.

Cork eased themselves into it though with a pair of Walsh frees before good Denis Fitzgerald work set up Jack O’Brien. Limerick stayed in front for a time but Walsh’s class was to the fore as he won possession in consecutive plays, first setting up Conor Noonan for a point and then converting a free after he was fouled.

The home side had the lead for the first time on 23, when a series of short passes from a puckout were followed by wing-back Michael Tadhg Brosnan going long to Barry O’Flynn, who finished well to the net.

That made it 1-8 to 0-8 and, while Eoin Brosnan and Ferland had points as Limerick responded well, Cork’s second goal – Walsh from a free on 28, atoning for his earlier miss – opened up a four-point advantage that had stretched to six by half-time.

Garde, on as a first-half sub, made it a seven-point game within seven seconds of the restart and Walsh brought his tally to 1-8 with another free before Fitzgerald’s clever pass allowed Finn O’Brien find an avenue to goal that was only closed by a foul from John Murray.

While it was outside the large rectangle, referee Alan Tierney judged it a goalscoring opportunity and a black card was shown before Walsh blasted home for an 11-point lead. From there, a first victory was inevitable.

Scorers for Cork: Barry Walsh 2-9 (1-7 f, 1-0 penalty), B O’Flynn 1-2, J Murphy 1-0, C Garde 0-2, MT Brosnan, C Noonan, Jack O’Brien, Z Biggane 0-1 each.

Limerick: H Flanagan 0-6 (0-4 f), D Ferland 0-4, E Brosnan, J O‘Connor, R O’Farrell, T Boddy 0-2 each, J Cosgrave, C Ryan, A O’Connell 0-1 each.

CORK: O Walsh (Youghal); D Heavin (Russell Rovers), D Fitzgerald (Bride Rovers), M Barrett (Carrigtwohill); MT Brosnan (Glen Rovers), D O’Leary (Ballincollig), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); C Noonan (Kanturk), James O’Brien (Cloyne); Z Biggane (Charleville), Barry Walsh (Killeagh), Jack O’Brien (Douglas); J Murphy (Dromina), B O’Flynn (Sarsfields), F O’Brien (Erin’s Own).

Subs: C Garde (Lisgoold) for James O’Brien (20, injured), J Casey (Youghal) for Ben Walsh (43), C O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for Biggane (50), R O’Riordan for Brosnan (56), C Deane (Killeagh) for Barry Walsh (57).

LIMERICK: A Kearns: J Murray, J Dwane, S Duff; J Cosgrave, E Richardson, J Coughlan; C Ryan, A O’Connell; J O’Connor, M Fitzgerald, H Flanagan; D Ferland, R O’Farrell, E Brosnan.

Subs: T Boddy for Coughlan (38), C Dennehy for Murray (46), R Hanly for Ryan (55), M Leo for Brosnan (60).

Referee: A Tierney (Tipperary).