FOR NEWCOMERS TO the All-Ireland final day experience, the objective must be a steady start which affords a route into the game.
Perhaps Cork did reasonably well in that regard in the first quarter yesterday in Croke Park, within touching distance on the scoreboard and even if they were wounded by Aaron Gillane’s goal, that gap still stood at four points, 2-8 to 1-7, by the 20th minute.
But then a squad with only two players, old stagers Horgan and Harnedy in attack, who had appeared in a game of such magnitude before, discovered just how difficult it is to breathe as you climb to a higher altitude.
Limerick exploded to life with one of the truly great first-half performances that Croke Park had witnessed. Shipping 3-18 made Cork’s task impossible at half-time. They watched Limerick move over the hill and out of sight.
“From our perspective, it was like trying to stop the tide with a bucket,” remarked Kieran Kingston afterwards.
It was an apt phrase to capture how powerless Cork were to the dominance Limerick were exerting.
“Not a lot you could do, no matter what you tried – go short or go long, I think they were just at another level to Cork today. We’ve got to be honest and say that.”
It was a humbling end to Cork’s 2021 hurling campaign. Losing to Limerick was not a new experience, they were short by seven points on 5 June in the Gaelic Grounds and eight points in arrears on 4 July in Semple Stadium.
But that first game carried the low-key air of a league match and after the second encounter, there was the safety net of the backdoor. Cork exploited that second chance to plot their way through the summer yet renewing acquaintances with Limerick provided no joy.
The margin between the teams had widened considerably and this was the end point, a result that leaves Cork facing a winter with plenty to stew over.
The magnificence of the team they were facing has to be factored in.
As it was beforehand.
“We’re not stupid, you guys aren’t stupid, nobody tipped Cork, and you can understand why,” remarked Kingston afterwards.
“I said at the press conference before the game that we were going up against a team that was the best I’ve seen since the great Kilkenny team.”
Kingston reeled off the list of honours that Limerick have stacked up to demonstrate their dominance. When asked to specifically point out where Cork were hurt, he referenced Limerick’s tackling expertise, their ability to execute turnovers and swiftly punish Cork by posting scores.
“Physicality. I’m not saying that they’re over the edge, I’m just saying every 50-50 tackle is a 50-50 tackle and they’re really strong in the tackle.
“They play it on the edge, they’re physical, they’re huge men. They’re really good hurlers, they’re really well-coached and they’re a humble bunch as well, after meeting them outside.
“There comes a team when you have to take your hat off and say, ‘Well done, we were beaten by a much better team,’ and that’s life, but it’s not nice.”
The question is how Cork could not get closer to Limerick and remain in contention until deep into the second half. Since they were turned over in the Munster semi-final, Cork’s form has been on an upward trajectory over the course of pushing Clare, Dublin and Kilkenny towards the exit door.
But the positive aspects of those displays did not surface here as they were dismantled by Limerick. In Cork’s previous three games, they only conceded two goals with both of those from Tony Kelly and Adrian Mullen arriving in second-half injury time.
Yesterday they leaked three goals in the first half alone.
Cork’s full-back line enduring a long and difficult afternoon but the quality of deliveries was top-class with Limerick under little pressure in the middle third. The space between Cork’s half-back and full-back lines was vast, Limerick exploited it.
Hindsight is easy to utilise for the Monday evening review but protection for their inside line needed to be an early focus for Cork. The injury-enforced absence of Ger Millerick was a blow, his availability would have provided a man-marking option for trying to stifle Cian Lynch, allowing Mark Coleman to sweep across the defensive channel around the D.
Up front was an equally trying experience for Cork. Again their forwards have caught fire in recent times, particularly in the second half against Kilkenny when they poured forward and picked off points at will.
Patrick Horgan and Seamus Harnedy accounted for 0-16 out of Cork’s 1-22 total. The rest of the starting forward line only mustered 1-1. That was indicative of the difficulties they found in creating gaps to get their running game going or managing the diagonal supply of passes that would have served their inside attackers well.
The creation of goal chances have been Cork’s calling card this year, even if their conversion has not always been first-rate, the regularity of those opportunities has kept them in the hunt. The move that opened Limerick up for Shane Kingston’s fourth minute goal was terrific in the intricacy of it.
But it was a rare breakthrough, Cork ended up resorting to raining high balls down on the goalmouth which Limerick invariably gobbled up, or a few potshots from further out that Nickie Quaid dealt with.
Again the prowess of the defence Cork were facing must be recognised, Limerick sextet at the back and those further upfield, did not allow Kieran Kingston’s team to replicate the form which had brought them to All-Ireland final day.
The significance of the occasion was new to the majority of the Cork team, the experience of having lived through a final should be beneficial if they return there. But the eight-year gap since 2013 is proof that it’s not automatic for a young side to manage to get back to such a stage.
Kingston agreed with that view.
“That will make them resilient, it’ll teach them a lot, in many ways.”
“These lads have a big future. They want to play for Cork, want to play for the jersey, but today we were just out-gunned.”
“They certainly will come up under no illusions the next time they get here – and there’s no guarantee you’re going to get here next year or the year after, because it’s a long road to get to an All-Ireland final any time.”
In a wider sense there are signs of Cork hurling being in better health. Underage progress had fuelled hopes of the seniors somehow managing to spring an upset. Three All-Ireland underage crowns in the last six weeks was a positive after years of decline in those grades.
Shane Barrett and Alan Connolly are the first players of promise from those teams to graduate. There is another highly-rated bunch but the lowering of the age grades create more caution in gauging those successes. The core of Limerick’s all-conquering team are from their 2015 and 2017 U21 sides, evidence that maturity at senior level takes time.
Minor and U20 silverware, along with a senior final appearance pointed to Cork’s progression but smashing into the barrier that Limerick erected was a harsh reminder of just how difficult it is to reach the highest summit in hurling.
Kingston summed the position where there is still plenty to do.
“It’s really until we starting performing at this level that we can say that, ‘Yeah, Cork hurling is in a good place.’
“It’s great to have underage titles, many counties have had them before, but it’s when you start winning at this level that you say, ‘Cork are back.’ ”
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