U21s rise to task to brighten Limerick summer

Limerick 0-16 Cork 1-11: A bright note on an otherwise dank summer for Limerick.

With their seniors having failed to win a single championship match and their minors not reaching a Munster final for the first time since 2012, there was considerable pressure on Pat Donnelly’s U21 troops to deliver a positive result and lift the gloom surrounding Limerick hurling.

Much has been made — and rightly so — of the work being done in the county’s underage academy and, with this particular group having made an All-Ireland minor final three years ago, evidence of their progression could only be provided by capturing the silverware on offer. In front of 11,774, they duly obliged, even if the performance — the winners failed to score between the 39th and 57th minute — was well below what they served up in reaching the decider.