Cork boss admits Rebels’ workrate was not at the level needed in loss to Limerick
Limerick 3-26
Cork 1-16
JOHNNY CAROLAN REPORTS
CORK hurling manager Pat Ryan is expecting his players to bounce back from a heavy Munster SHC defeat to Limerick as Sunday’s clash with Waterford offers a chance for a response.
The Rebels were firmly outclassed at TUS Gaelic Grounds last Sunday. Trailing by 15 points at half-time, they did get back to within ten after a Patrick Horgan goal but Limerick powered on again in the closing stages.
It leaves John Kiely’s side almost certainly assured of a Munster final spot – but Cork can set up a re-match at the same venue by beating Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday (4pm).
For Ryan, it’s a case of first of all restoring workrate levels back to what is expected.
‘At the end of the day, it wasn't a tactical type of thing because obviously the performance was so bad,’ he said.
‘Our energy, our effort, our workrate was way, way down compared to what it should have been.
‘There are tactical aspects that you might look at down the road, but if your energy and your ability to be in the fight with Limerick isn't there, they'll just do what they did to us.
‘We stood off them too much, left them pass the ball around, all that type of thing – and, to be honest, if we do the exact same thing to Waterford on Sunday, they'll beat us as well.
‘It's your workrate that gives you the opportunity to play hurling and our workrate was nowhere near the required level on Sunday, which is probably the first time since I've been involved that it has been like that from the lads.
‘Obviously, there are days where you mightn’t win or play as well as you can, but our workrate has been at a very, very high level.
‘On Sunday, it wasn't acceptable and, in fairness to ourselves and everyone, we realise that. That’s what the Munster championship is about; you have to park it and move on. We’ve a great opportunity on Sunday to get the season back going again.’
Cork's Eoin Downey and Limerick's Shane O'Brien battle for possession.
Limerick had scored the first two points – both by Tom Morrissey – when Cian Lynch’s low delivery was kept in play by Aaron Gillane, who benefited from Niall O’Leary’s slip and then a lack of any additional pressure to fire past Patrick Collins.
While Cork did reply to that to score the next three points, it was as close as they would come all afternoon. Limerick continued to look for goals, Barry Nash going closest as he was crowded out, but it was only a matter of time.
They had moved 1-12 to 0-6 ahead when a Cork move broke down and Limerick broke down and Lynch’s pass to Adam English was followed by the outstanding midfielder raising another green flag.
By half-time, it was 2-18 to 0-9, with damage-limitation the sole objective for Cork. With the wind in the second half, they 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 Brian Hayes was unlucky to touch a Mark Coleman sideline cut just wide on 54 minutes.
A goal did arrive on the hour when Horgan netted a free which had been brought 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, and Limerick’s fans were able to enjoy the remainder.
For Cork, the disappointment was compounded by injuries that forced early departures for Declan Dalton and Niall O’Leary, with Ryan admitting that neither is likely to play against Waterford.
‘Both Niall and Declan have had scans and we’re waiting on the results back,’ he said.
‘They’re probably not as bad as we feared they might be coming out of there but I’d say they'd be extremely doubtful for the weekend.’
Our Star: Limerick candidates abounded, with Cian Lynch, Kyle Hayes and Adam English superb. The fact that half-time sub Séamus Harnedy was the only Cork player apart from Patrick Horgan to score more than once said it all.
Scorers
Limerick: Aaron Gillane 2-8 (1-0 penalty, 6f); Tom Morrissey 0-5; Adam English 1-2; Gearóid Hegarty 0-3; Peter Casey, Cathal O’Neill 0-2 each; Diarmaid Byrnes, Mike Casey, Cian Lynch, David Reidy 0-1 each.
Cork: Patrick Horgan 1-9 (1-7f); Séamus Harnedy 0-2; Brian Roche, Shane Barrett, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman, Brian Hayes 0-1 each.
Limerick: 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.
Subs: 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).
Cork: 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.
Subs: 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, injured), R O’Flynn for Connolly (66).
Referee: L Gordon (Galway).
