Cork v Limerick: Where the game was won and lost
LAST MAN STANDING: Cork's Patrick Collins saves a shott from Aaron Gillane of Limerick. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane
In the 11 All-Ireland semi-finals and finals Limerick have played since 2018, only three times have they failed to score a goal. Two of those were during the covid season of 2020 and they didn’t concede any in those two games either. The only team to score a goal and keep a clean sheet was Galway in the 2022 semi-final. Until now.
On Sunday they struck 14 wides to Cork’s 10 and failed to convert two clear goal chances. In the first half, Patrick Collins came bravely racing off his line to close down Aaron Gillane. In the second, he denied Gearóid Hegarty with an excellent stop and Gillane was unable to connect with the rebound. John Kiely’s side also took a massive early blow from Brian Hayes.
It was everything Cork hoped for and everything Limerick feared. Raw pace that couldn’t be contained. Shane Barrett sprinted away from Dan Morrissey. Mike Casey couldn’t catch Hayes. The finish was textbook, crashing into the side of the net. That clinical edge proved crucial. From 12 possessions, Hayes had seven shots to score 1-4.
“I’m just disappointed for the lads,” said John Kiely afterwards. “They’ve put in a huge, huge shift. With a little bit more efficiency they could have got over the line. It was just a battle of efficiency in the finish.”Â
It was obvious from early on that Pat Ryan had decided to avoid Kyle Hayes at all costs. No puckouts went to that right wing. Cork strived to stay creative with their restarts. Robert Downey delivered their first point after collecting the ball short and driving down the heart of Limerick’s defence.
Gradually, Limerick adjusted as they always do. By half-time, Cork had scored 1-3 from their puckout but conceded 0-5. Of the 11 puckouts before the break, Limerick scored three points from this source while limiting Cork to just two. Suddenly they had a big problem.
In the second half, Collins gave a clinic of distribution as Cork consistently asked different questions. At first he pumped ball long to Brian Hayes, who had a height advantage over Mike Casey. The St Finnbarr’s man broke the ball into Shane Barrett’s path for a tap over point. Referee Thomas Walsh was willing to let both goalkeepers go high-tempo with fast puckouts on occasion and Collins utilised that expertly.
The basic numbers spell out Cork’s edge. Both teams scored seven points from the opposition puckout. Cork scored 0-2 more on their own.
Within minutes of the whistle, it was obvious both sides would not line out as listed. Cathal O’Neill made for the half-forward line while Cian Lynch slotted into midfield. Tim O’Mahony’s anticipated move to the middle also materialised. Ciarán Joyce made for Gearóid Hegarty.
That matchup was one of several Pat Ryan got right. Cork bested the midfield battle comprehensively. Cian Lynch scored a point, but Darragh Fitzgibbon hit three. Will O’Donoghue was taken off for Darragh O’Donovan early in the second half. The switch of Shane Barrett to centre forward continues to look inspired and Declan Hannon found himself chasing rather than facing more than once. When Shane Kingston came on for the final ten minutes, he ran straight to Hannon in a bid to force the centre-back into another tough marking task. Their only slip was taking off Patrick Horgan just as they were awarded a free late on.
“The substitution (Padraig Power) was gone in, so he had to come off,” explained Ryan. It wasn’t costly in the end.
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