Win for Cork in busy hurling schedule

A crowd of 10,000 watched All-Ireland champions Cork get their NHL Division 1B campaign off to a winning start as they comfortably saw off Limerick 1-20 to 0-10 at Pairc Uí Chaoimh today.

A late Ben O'Connor goal capped a determined display from the Rebels who started slow.

An early hat-trick of points from Mark Keane and another from Pat Tobin saw Limerick 0-04 to no score in front on 11 minutes.

However a brace from Niall McCarthy and singles from Neill Ronan and Joe Deane fired Cork back into a 0-06 to 0-05 lead. They tagged on six more before the interval as Niall McCarthy, Joe Deane and Jerry O'Connor bossed the front line.

A head injury to Peter Lawlor reflected exactly how dazed the Limerick rearguard was beginning to look.

Ronan pointed twice on the restart for the rampant home side. With the Shannonsiders over-reliant on Keane, a late rout from Deane and McCarthy plus O'Connor's low-driven goal sealed the Cork victory.

At Semple Stadium, late goals from Michael Webster and Darragh Egan rescued Tipperary from an embarrassing opening day defeat at the hands of gutsy Down, as they won their Division 1B meeting by 3-17 to 2-12.

Manager Ken Hogan - who included six newcomers - watched his side come back from a 0-16 to 2-12 deficit in the closing stages.

They led 0-08 to 0-07 after a nip-and-tuck first-half in which the home side hit nine wides.

Three points in the opening four minutes from Borrisokane's Tadhg Slevin, Seamus Butler and Donal Shelley fired Tipp in front.

Stephen Clarke, Jonathan McCusker, and Martin Coulter quickly replied, and although Evan Sweeney added a brace for the Premier county, the visitors were level at 0-05 apiece on 20 minutes.

Sweeney tagged on a free, just before Down midfielder Garrett Johnson had his goal-bound shot saved by Damien Young. Tipp earned their one-point buffer with late scores from Butler and Slevin.

Simon Wilson rewarded the visitors for some sterling defence as his frees levelled the game at 0-10 each on 46 minutes.

Then a long ball from Gabriel Clarke was flashed to the Tipp net by Eoin Clarke.

Johnson's '65 saw Down increase their lead, and another long ball proved fruitful for corner-forward Clarke with eight minutes remaining, as he batted past Young again.

Sweeney and Slevin crucially kept the points ticking over for Tipp and Webster and Egan (1-01) - deputising for absent three-time All-Star Eoin Kelly - were all on hand at the death to rescue a heart-stopping win.

Leinster champions Wexford had Paul Carley in fine form at Wexford Park, and they needed him as his seven-point haul helped them past Antrim - 2-12 to 1-09.

The Model men has substitute MJ Furlong among the goal scorers, in a clash which saw Dublin referee Eamonn Morris yellow card six players.