AS STATEMENT PERFORMANCES GO, this one from Limerick will rank as highly as anything they’ve produced in the John Kiely era.
They blew Cork away by 16 points this afternoon to leave their home support in a joyous mood in the May sunshine. Qualification from Munster has been assured and Limerick’s status as favourites to land a seventh provincial title on the bounce has hardened after the scale of victory they delivered here.
Cork were left chastened after this beating and know they must now get a positive result at home to Waterford next Sunday to prolong their season.
The cold truth was that this game was settled by the interval, Limerick retreating to the dressing room with the comfort of a commanding 2-18 to 0-9 advantage.
Goals from Aaron Gillane and Adam English underlined their utter dominance in that period. After Tom Morrissey had snapped over a brace of points, Gillane set the tone in the third minute when he gathered the ball in the left corner and took advantage of a slip by Niall O’Leary. The Patrickswell man galloped in along the endline, sidestepped Ciarán Joyce, and drilled home his shot.
Cork’s Alan Connolly and Diarmaid Byrnes of Limerick James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Cork did notch the next three points of the game to cut the deficit to two but they were chasing in Limerick’s slipstream for the remainder of the afternoon. By the time Limerick raised a green flag again in the 27th minute through English, released by the outstanding Cian Lynch for the strike, they were 2-12 to 0-6 clear.
The signs were ominous for Cork and they could have shipped further goals but Barry Nash’s effort went wide under pressure from a swarm of Cork defenders, Shane O’Brien was hooked on another occasion, and in the same passage of play, Tom Morrissey’s effort was blocked on the line by Mark Coleman.
The pressure on the Cork defence was intense. Limerick, driven on by the power of their half-back line where Kyle Hayes excelled, were in control and Cork couldn’t get their attacking game going to bag the boost of a goal at the other end. Nickie Quaid was equal to a Patrick Horgan strike in the 21st minute after Brian Hayes fashioned an opportunity, and Cork were left staring at a 15-point deficit at the break.
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Cork’s Shane Barrett and Tom Morrissey of Limerick. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The second half had a lower-key feel to it. Cork sprung Séamus Harnedy from the bench and he landed two points during his time on the pitch, while Horgan finished with 1-9 to his credit, but his overall display also featured some poor shooting as he chalked up four wides from frees and dropped another short.
Cork landed seven of the first 10 points in the second half, substitute Cormac O’Brien impressing, but it was damage limitation stuff such was the majesty of hurling that Limerick had produced in that opening period.
Cork’s goal arrived ten minutes from full time, Horgan smashing home a 20-yard free after Brian Hayes had been fouled. The outburst of celebration in the Cork support was soon quelled as Limerick grabbed their third goal, Gillane firing home a penalty after he was fouled by Eoin Downey.
Substitutes Cathal O’Neill and Peter Casey kept the Limerick scoring tally ticking over, and the champions are now in the driving seat to return to another provincial decider.
Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane 2-7 (1-6 frees, 1-0 pen), Adam English 1-2, Tom Morrissey 0-5, Gearóid Hegarty 0-3, Peter Casey 0-2, Cathal O’Neill 0-2, Michael Casey 0-1, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-1, Cian Lynch 0-1, Shane O’Brien 0-1, David Reidy 0-1.
Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 1-9 (1-8 frees), Séamus Harnedy 0-2, Robert Downey 0-1, Mark Coleman 0-1, Shane Barrett 0-1, Brian Hayes 0-1, Brian Roche 0-1.
Limerick
1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)
4. Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), 3. Dan Morrissey (Ahane), 2. Sean Finn (Bruff)
5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), 6. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), 7. Barry Nash (South Liberties)
8. Adam English (Doon), 9. William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh)
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Limerick hammer Cork in statement Munster hurling championship win
Limerick 3-26
Cork 1-16
AS STATEMENT PERFORMANCES GO, this one from Limerick will rank as highly as anything they’ve produced in the John Kiely era.
They blew Cork away by 16 points this afternoon to leave their home support in a joyous mood in the May sunshine. Qualification from Munster has been assured and Limerick’s status as favourites to land a seventh provincial title on the bounce has hardened after the scale of victory they delivered here.
Cork were left chastened after this beating and know they must now get a positive result at home to Waterford next Sunday to prolong their season.
The cold truth was that this game was settled by the interval, Limerick retreating to the dressing room with the comfort of a commanding 2-18 to 0-9 advantage.
Goals from Aaron Gillane and Adam English underlined their utter dominance in that period. After Tom Morrissey had snapped over a brace of points, Gillane set the tone in the third minute when he gathered the ball in the left corner and took advantage of a slip by Niall O’Leary. The Patrickswell man galloped in along the endline, sidestepped Ciarán Joyce, and drilled home his shot.
Cork did notch the next three points of the game to cut the deficit to two but they were chasing in Limerick’s slipstream for the remainder of the afternoon. By the time Limerick raised a green flag again in the 27th minute through English, released by the outstanding Cian Lynch for the strike, they were 2-12 to 0-6 clear.
The signs were ominous for Cork and they could have shipped further goals but Barry Nash’s effort went wide under pressure from a swarm of Cork defenders, Shane O’Brien was hooked on another occasion, and in the same passage of play, Tom Morrissey’s effort was blocked on the line by Mark Coleman.
The pressure on the Cork defence was intense. Limerick, driven on by the power of their half-back line where Kyle Hayes excelled, were in control and Cork couldn’t get their attacking game going to bag the boost of a goal at the other end. Nickie Quaid was equal to a Patrick Horgan strike in the 21st minute after Brian Hayes fashioned an opportunity, and Cork were left staring at a 15-point deficit at the break.
The second half had a lower-key feel to it. Cork sprung Séamus Harnedy from the bench and he landed two points during his time on the pitch, while Horgan finished with 1-9 to his credit, but his overall display also featured some poor shooting as he chalked up four wides from frees and dropped another short.
Cork landed seven of the first 10 points in the second half, substitute Cormac O’Brien impressing, but it was damage limitation stuff such was the majesty of hurling that Limerick had produced in that opening period.
Cork’s goal arrived ten minutes from full time, Horgan smashing home a 20-yard free after Brian Hayes had been fouled. The outburst of celebration in the Cork support was soon quelled as Limerick grabbed their third goal, Gillane firing home a penalty after he was fouled by Eoin Downey.
Substitutes Cathal O’Neill and Peter Casey kept the Limerick scoring tally ticking over, and the champions are now in the driving seat to return to another provincial decider.
Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane 2-7 (1-6 frees, 1-0 pen), Adam English 1-2, Tom Morrissey 0-5, Gearóid Hegarty 0-3, Peter Casey 0-2, Cathal O’Neill 0-2, Michael Casey 0-1, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-1, Cian Lynch 0-1, Shane O’Brien 0-1, David Reidy 0-1.
Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 1-9 (1-8 frees), Séamus Harnedy 0-2, Robert Downey 0-1, Mark Coleman 0-1, Shane Barrett 0-1, Brian Hayes 0-1, Brian Roche 0-1.
Limerick
1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)
4. Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), 3. Dan Morrissey (Ahane), 2. Sean Finn (Bruff)
5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), 6. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), 7. Barry Nash (South Liberties)
8. Adam English (Doon), 9. William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh)
10. Gearóid Hegarty (St Patrick’s), 11. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell – captain), 12. Tom Morrissey (Ahane)
13. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), 14. Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock), 15. David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca)
Subs
Cork
1. Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)
2. Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), 3. Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), 4. Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra)
7. Mark Coleman (Blarney), 5. Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), 6. Robert Downey (Glen Rovers – captain)
8. Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), 9. Ethan Twomey (St.Finbarr’s)
10. Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neills), 11. Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville), 12. Shane Barrett (Blarney)
13. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), 15. Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s), 14. Alan Connolly (Blackrock)
Subs
Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)
*****
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Cork GAA Hurling Limerick Match Report Munster Munster SHC