Cork got 'rub of the green' with extra-time additional time, says Limerick boss John Kiely 

REGROUP: Limerick manager John Kiely says his side will come back stronger this summer. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

John Kiely felt Limerick were the better team in extra-time and could not understand where stand-in referee James Owens found four minutes of additional time at the end of the second extra-time period.

Owens signaled one minute of additional time at the end of extra-time, but the Gaelic Grounds clock read 83:42 - three minutes and 42 seconds over - when Cork midfielder Darragh Fitzgibbon converted a 65 to send the game to penalties.

“I thought we played exceptionally well, I thought we were the better team in extra-time,” said the Limerick boss.

“I think we created 14 scoring chances to their eight in extra-time, so I thought we had enough done to win the game in that extra-time period. I think Cork got a really good rub of the green there just in that last piece.” 

When asked by the Irish Examiner what Kiely was referring to with his “rub of the green” comment, the Limerick boss drew attention to the amount of injury-time played.

“There was three minutes gone, it is hard to find three minutes of added time in a 10-minute half. There was only one minute in the first-half.

“As I said, we'll have to go back, watch the tape, analyse it, break it down before we formulate a concrete opinion of it. But it was a little difficult to understand.” 

On the overall performance of referee Thomas Walsh, Kiely, who was nursing a first final defeat as Limerick manager, said the Waterford official “did a fantastic job”.

Having registered just eight wides in the opening 70 minutes, Limerick were off target on seven occasions in the subsequent 20 minutes. The opportunities were there for seven-in-a-row and further provincial history.

“Our efficiency overall wasn't where it was at against Cork the first day. Our efficiency was just a bit down today. We were creating scoring opportunities, but it was a very difficult wind as well. It was a swirling breeze, and hard to score for both teams.” Kiely’s preference is for finals to be decided in regulation and extra-time, but congratulated Cork on their superior penalty-taking and outright success.

“I think everybody would agree that it is normal play that a game should be finished. Listen these are the rules, these are the procedures, and we have to go with that. Fair play to Cork. They took the penalties when they came around.

“There is no dress rehearsal for this. There is no practicing for this. It is just put your best foot forward. You are taking a shot on behalf of the group; it is not on the lads. I thought Declan [Hannon], Tom [Morrissey], and Barry [Murphy], manfully, put their hand up to take these penalties. As far as we are concerned, it was Limerick senior hurling team that lost this, it wasn't anything to do with Barry, Tom, or Declan for sure.” Limerick pulled up level alongside the visitors on six occasions in the second period of regulation time. It was at the seventh attempt - on 68 minutes - that they finally pulled one ahead. The same as the end of extra-time, it was a slender lead they could not keep grip of.

“Just an incredible game. Second half, it was tit for tat. Never much in it. We clawed it back. We just needed to get ahead and see if we could apply pressure from the front. They had the response when we did get ahead, they came back with another score.

“The wind played a substantial part in the normal part of the game, in the first two halves in particular. Cork outshot us 24 shots to 13 in that first-half. To come in four points down, a really positive piece of work from our lads. We worked hard to put pressure on the Cork shots. But at the end of the day, they still got off 24 shots, which is a big number.

“All told, I have just to be super proud of our fellas for the effort they put in. It was just an incredible effort. We have won six out of seven Munster finals, that record will stand for a long time.

“I have no doubt the men in that dressing-room will regroup, dust themselves down, and will really want to push forward now and be the very best that they can be in the remainder of this championship.”