Limerick to face Clare in Munster final after defeating Cork in thriller

The Treaty County defeated the Rebels, who are now out of the championship, in another enthralling Munster clash.

Sun, 28 May, 2023 - 17:41

John Fogarty, TUS Gaelic Grounds.

Limerick 3-25 Cork 1-30

All-Ireland champions Limerick roared back to form to reach a fifth straight Munster final and send Cork out of the championship.

Combined with Tipperary’s six-point defeat to Waterford, this one-point win earns them another provincial final date with Clare on June 11.

Watched by a capacity-busting 40,847 crowd in TUS Gaelic Grounds, two of Patrick Horgan’s impressive 1-14 haul came in additional time either side of a Seamus Flanagan point to set up a nervy finish but Limerick held their nerve to claim the win.

Aaron Gillane had earned a penalty from Seán O’Donoghue in the 43rd minute, which was converted with aplomb by Diarmaid Byrnes who stormed into the second half.

Cork were only a point behind up to the 50th minute but Limerick strung together the next six points. Yet similar to previous games Cork weren’t done. Horgan found the net on the hour mark to make it a four-point game.

Going into additional time, Seamus Harnedy’s fourth point brought Cork to within a point only for Diarmaid Byrnes to pistol a 65 after Limerick had fluffed a goal chance. Horgan responded with a free, which was cancelled out with a Flanagan effort. A second Horgan free followed but Cork ran out of time when a draw would have been good enough to remain in the competition.

Neither Limerick’s slow start nor Cork’s weak second quarter were evident here as Limerick were 0-5 to 0-3 ahead after 10 minutes. However, Cork powered into the game with six consecutive scores without answer and led 0-11 to 0-7 after 18 minutes.

It was a chastening period for Limerick but they were creating plenty of space in Cork’s half of the field and found the net for the first time in the 22nd minute. From a Kyle Hayes delivery, Gillane leaped superbly behind O’Donoghue to feed Flanagan to fire the ball past Patrick Collins’ near side.

Cork’s response was strong and they were a couple of points up when Gillane broke through again but his kicked effort came off the butt of the post on the hour mark. However, Cathal O’Neill wasn’t denied a minute later when Niall O’Leary ran into traffic and William O’Donoghue passed the ball inside to O’Neill to finish.

Limerick’s discipline was letting them down, though, and half of their outfield defence were in James Owens’ book by the end of the half. Cork ended the half with the last three points of the half, two of them Patrick Horgan frees punishing bookable offences, and the sides were tied 2-12 to 0-18.

Scorers for Limerick: D. Byrnes (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-1 65); S. Flanagan (1-3); A. Gillane (0-5, 2 frees); C. O’Neill (1-0); D. O’Donovan, G. Hegarty (0-3 each); T. Morrissey (0-2); W. O’Donoghue, B. Nash, P. Casey, D. Hannon, K. Hayes (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan (1-14, 0-11 frees); D. Fitzgibbon, S. Harnedy (0-4 each); D. Dalton (0-3, 2 frees); S. Kingston (0-2); T. O’Mahony, L. Meade, R. Downey (0-1 each).

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; M. Casey, D. Morrissey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), K. Hayes; D. O’Donovan, W. O’Donoghue; G. Hegarty, C. O’Neill, T. Morrissey; S. Flanagan, A. Gillane, P. Casey.

Subs: R. English for D. Hannon (53); D. Reidy for T. Morrissey (57); C. Coughlan for M. Casey (65); G. Mulcahy for P. Casey (65); C. Lynch for D. O’Donovan (67).

CORK: P. Collins; N. O’Leary, S. O’Donoghue (c), D. Cahalane; G. Mellerick, C. Joyce, R. Downey; B. Roche, L. Meade; D. Fitzgibbon, T. O’Mahony, S. Harnedy; D. Dalton, P. Horgan, S. Kingston.

Subs: E. Twomey for L. Meade (temp 35+3-h-t); B. Hayes for B. Roche (39); C. Lehane for T. O’Mahony (54); P. Power for S. Kingston (58); E. Twomey for L. Meade (59); S. Barrett for D. Dalton (temp 65-f-t).

Referee: J. Owens (Wexford).