Cork v Limerick: Late scores see Rebels make it two wins from two
Cork's William Buckley tries to get away from Barry Nash of Limerick during Sunday's Munster SHC game at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Tom Beary/Sportsfile
It all came down to something that resembled a training-ground routine.
Twenty-nine players inside the Cork 65, with Limerick goalkeeper Nickie Quaid the exception. A crowd of 43,369 watching, the clock showing 77 minutes and Cork leading by two – Aidan O’Connor dropped the ball goalwards but Cork held out and the ball was clear
It was the last act of Cork’s second straight win – the first time that has happened in the round-robin era – and another victory will secure a place in the Munster final.
This was not a classic like the 2024 meeting at the venue but it still offered an abundance of drama and intrigue before Cork came out on top.
Some breaks fell their way, like Limerick being without the injured Aaron Gillane and the Shannonsiders losing captain Cian Lynch to a red card, but others they had to earn. Cork trailed by seven points twice in the first half and then, with the extra man, fell behind on 68 minutes.
They had led by two when Limerick sub Darragh O’Donovan was fouled on a run towards goal, a mini-melee resulting in yellow cards for Seán O’Donoghue and Shane O’Brien. Further Cork dissent saw the free brought central on the 20m line, with Diarmaid Byrnes called up to take it: his low shot was not unstoppable but it squirted in for a 1-23 to 2-19 lead.
It proved to be their last score though, as Cork kept their heads: Alan Connolly sent over two frees to finish with 1-8 and captain Darragh Fitzgibbon gave them the cushion before they had to face the final Limerick attack.
Given how the game had started, it was a wonder that the game was any kind of contest. They found their feet far quicker than Cork, opening with five unanswered points – an added blow for Cork was the loss of full-back Ciarán Joyce to a fifth-minute injury.
While Brian Hayes and Darragh Fitzgibbon opened the Cork account after ten minutes, a good move that might have yielded another score broke down and the visitors replied with four more in quick succession.
The scoreline reached 0-10 to 0-3 in favour of the Treatymen before Cork finally got going. Having pointed a free, Alan Connolly then executed a good turnover on William O’Donoghue and did well to time his handpass to the onrushing Shane Barrett, who blasted beyond Nickie Quaid.
That left a three-point gap was slowly eroded by the 25th minute but Cork were unable to forge ahead at any stage in the first half. While Brian Hayes responded to a nice Peter Casey point to leave it 1-11 to 0-14 as the break approached, Shane O’Brien and Cathal O’Neill sent Limerick in with the lead.
The second half began with two saves, Quaid denying Brian Hayes at one end before Patrick Collins made a stop from Peter Casey. Cork closed the gap slightly – aided by some uncharacteristically poor Limerick shooting – before the goal to give them the lead for the first time.
Following a short puckout, Collins almost got caught in possession but showed enough nous to escape pressure a launch a long ball to Hayes, who did brilliantly to claim the sliothar and then layoff to Connolly. He drove goalwards and slotted past Quaid despite taking a heavy hit from Barry Nash, who was booked.
Peter Casey cut the deficit to a point, 2-14 to 0-19, with a superb effort from the left sideline, before the red card – Lynch involved in an off-the-ball altercation with Tim O’Mahony – left Limerick a man down, with Fitzgibbon pointing the free that accrued.
A third goal nearly arrived, with Quaid saving from Barry Walsh - another Fitzgibbon free made it 2-16 to 0-19
Despite the shortage in manpower, Limerick continued to battle. Points from Aidan O’Connor and Cathal O’Neill had them within one, 2-17 to 0-22, by the hour and they had a chance to level but Peter Casey shot wide.
Cork responded as Shane Barrett and Tommy O’Connell – again full of tireless energy at midfield – sandwiched a Byrnes point but the Limerick goal looked to have been a final flourish of drama.
The Rebels ensured that it was not the definitive last action, however.
A Connolly 1-8 (0-7 f), D Fitzgibbon 0-5 (0-2 f), Barrett 1-2, W Buckley, B Hayes 0-2 each, T O’Mahony (0-1 f), E Downey, T O’Connell 0-1 each.
A O’Connor 0-7 (0-3 f, 0-1 65), D Byrnes 1-2 (1-0 f), C O’Neill 0-4, P Casey, S O’Brien 0-3 each, G Hegarty, A English 0-2 each.
P Collins; N O’Leary, C Joyce, S O’Donoghue; M Coleman, R Downey, E Downey; T O’Mahony, T O’Connell; D Fitzgibbon, S Barrett, B Walsh; A Connolly, W Buckley, B Hayes.
D Cahalane for Joyce (5, injured), A Walsh for Connolly (47-53), D Healy for Buckley (51), R O’Flynn for B Walsh (70+2), G Millerick for R Downey (70+6, injured).
N Quaid; B Nash, S Finn, M Casey; D Byrnes, W O’Donoghue, K Hayes; A English, C Lynch; G Hegarty, A O’Connor, C O’Neill; P Casey, S O’Brien, D Reidy.
D O’Donovan for Reidy (53), T Morrissey for P Casey (62), C Coughlan for O'Brien (68).
J Owens (Wexford).
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