Cork 1-30
Limerick 2-27
(Cork won 3-2 on penalties, aet)
JOHNNY CAROLAN REPORTS
WHILE Cork didn’t explicitly prepare for penalties in last Saturday’s Munster SHC final against Limerick, you could argue that they earned their luck.
The Rebels triumphed 3-2 in the shootout – having been 2-0 down – to win the county’s first provincial title since 2018, denying Limerick’s quest to win seven in a row.
From a position where they had lost by 16 points against the same opposition just under three weeks previously, Cork stayed with their opponents through 70 minutes and then 20 more before the penalties were required for the first time in the fixture.
For manager Pat Ryan, it was a case of upping the workrate from the round-robin game, while he also felt that the depth of the squad came to the fore.
‘Look, we know that we're a really, really good team,’ he said, ‘but it's the same with every other team, there's loads of good teams out there and it's all about the attitude you bring and whether you're going to fight. We fought today really, really hard.
‘We were missing a couple of fellas, a couple of bodies came on and sometimes that actually freshens up the team. I thought the lads came off the bench today and did a fantastic job.
‘Robbie O'Flynn, Tommy O'Connell, Shane Kingston, I thought they were really, really good and that was great for us. Again, having the ability to bring on Niall [O’Leary] and Rob [Downey], it was huge.
‘It was a step up for us, we picked up one or two yellow cards, the fellas were cramping and tiring, it was the same as Limerick were, but we were delighted to get the win and it was vital that we represented the jersey properly today and we did.’
Cork's Niall O'Leary and Damian Cahalane battle for possession with Limerick's Aaron Gillane and Shane O'Brien.
From the off, it was clear that Cork were ready to put everything into it, despite only being able to name captain Robert Downey and Niall O’Leary on the bench while Declan Dalton was not involved.
Downey did go up for the pre-match coin-toss and, after winning it, opted to play with the wind. Cork began well, with Damien Cahalane among the scores as they moved into an 0-8 to 0-5 lead inside 20 minutes, but Limerick had threatened a goal more than once and then they found one.
Cian Lynch had the delivery for Aidan O’Connor, making his first championship start, but there was still a lot to do as he got the better of Eoin Downey – who had earlier denied Adam English – before finishing well. When David Reidy’s point had the hosts ahead for the first time, things might have looked ominous but, as they would throughout, Cork responded well to the setback.
Brian Hayes went close to a goal before Shane Barrett did find the net, making it 1-9 to 1-7 with a ground shot on a loose ball, and the stand-in skipper had two points before half-time as Cork finished with a flourish, retiring with a 1-14 to 1-10 advantage.
Facing the wind for the second period, they did well to avoid Limerick eating into the deficit in any significant fashion – Darragh Fitzgibbon was unlucky to see a goal effort saved by Nickie Quaid, but, he was being fouled, Cork were given a free which Patrick Horgan converted for a 1-16 to 1-13 lead.
Even when Limerick did conjure a second goal, scored by Shane O’Brien, to level – though Cork felt there was an unpunished foul just beforehand – the Rebels refused to wilt. They couldn’t get more than one ahead though and Limerick might have won it through sub Darragh O’Donovan before Horgan was on hand to send a levelling free over.
It meant extra time, with sub Declan Hannon and Aaron Gillane pointing as Limerick held a two-point lead for what proved to be the only time in the whole game. Any momentum they had generated was lost as there was a hold-up necessitating the departure of referee Thomas Walsh, replaced by James Owens, and Cork took advantage.
Fitzgibbon and subs Conor Lehane and Shane Kingston had points to put them ahead, Gillane left things level again after 80 minutes before he put them back in front at the start of the second period.
It was blow-for-blow, with one side levelling and going in front only for their opponents to do likewise but it looked like Limerick had it when Gillane made it 2-27 to 1-29 with the allotted minute up.
Cork were given a chance as Fitzgibbon seized up a free from deep in his own territory – Quaid almost spilled it into the net but instead it squirted out for a 65, which Fitzgibbon nailed. Penalties were needed.
Diarmaid Byrnes and Gillane both netted for Limerick, sandwiching a Fitzgibbon saved effort, but Conor Lehane got Cork up and running and they were level through Kingston after Barry Murphy fired wide.
When Patrick Collins saved from Tom Morrissey, Alan Connolly put Cork ahead, meaning Declan Hannon had to score. He could not and the Rebel hordes invaded the pitch, hailing a magnificent turnaround.
Scorers
Limerick: Aaron Gillane 0-9 (6f); Shane O’Brien 1-2; Aidan O’Connor 1-1; Adam English, David Reidy 0-3 each; Gearóid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey 0-2 each; Diarmaid Byrnes (1f), Peter Casey, Declan Hannon, Cathal O’Neill, Darragh O’Donovan 0-1 each.
Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-7 (4f); Shane Barrett 1-3; Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-4 (1f, 1 65); Diarmuid Healy, Shane Kingston 0-3 each; Conor Lehane, Séamus Harnedy 0-2 each; Damien Cahalane, Eoin Downey, Tim O’Mahony, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes, Tommy O’Connell 0-1 each.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash; Adam English, Will O’Donoghue, Tom Morrissey; Aaron Gillane, Aidan O’Connor, David Reidy.
Subs: Shane O’Brien for O’Connor (42), Peter Casey for Reidy, Cathal O’Neill for Tom Morrissey (both 55), Darragh O’Donovan for O’Donoghue (65), Declan Hannon for Byrnes, Barry Murphy for Mike Casey (start of extra time), Tom Morrissey for Hegarty (79), Séamus Flanagan for Lynch (80+1-80+3, blood), Byrnes for Lynch (80+4).
Cork: Patrick Collins; Damien Cahalane, Eoin Downey, Seán O’Donoghue; Mark Coleman, Ciarán Joyce, Cormac O’Brien; Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy; Brian Hayes, Alan Connolly, Patrick Horgan.
Subs: Robert Downey for O’Brien (54), Tommy O’Connell for O’Mahony (59), Shane Kingston for Connolly (65), Robbie O’Flynn for Harnedy (68), Conor Lehane for Horgan (70+3), Niall O’Leary for O’Donoghue (73), Brian Roche for Healy (half-time in extra time), Alan Connolly for Coleman (80+4).
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford), replaced by James Owens (Wexford) (76).
