As it happened: Limerick's eight-point win over Cork in the hurling league

Limerick shaded it by a point at the break after a hectic first period at TUS Gaelic Grounds. But they pulled away in second half.

Ciaran Joyce of Cork is tackled by Adam English of Limerick during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A match between Limerick and Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

FULL TIME AHL Division 1A; Limerick 3-19 Cork 0-20

8:50pm We'll leave it there for tonight. Eoghan Cormican's report will be on the website shortly. And can we hope for another state of the nation address from Ben with the press lads? Maybe he'll go quietly tonight. 

8:49pm Ben O'Connor says Cork fully expected to win but is not disappointed with manner of defeat, insisting players fought on their backs. Says supply to full-forward line dried up a bit second half and people went for few shots that weren't on. Off to Portugal now and league final remains the target. 

8:45pm John Kiely says Lim efficience was just off in first half, but better overall in second. A lot of positives, he reckons, including impact off the bench. And energy levels high, No injuries. Very happy. Content they eventually stopped Cork's running game at source. "Quiet happy" with Sean Stack's refereeing. 

8:44pm Limerick now top of the 1A table, on points difference from Cork. Limerick v Galway now effectively a league semi-final.

The scoring breakdown from TG4

Aidan O'Connor got 1-11 there for Lim, 1-7 from placed balls. Tim O'Mahony had 0-7 for Cork one from play. 

FULL-TIME: Man of the match Cian Lynch not giving much away afterwards, reiterating there's not much between any of the teams. They'll be taking things week by week, he assures us. The TG4 lads won't coax any Connolly-style predictions out of him.

75 mins: That's it. An eight-point win for Limerick. First blood for Limerick in the pentalogy, though Cork are unlikely to be too concerned. after a very competitive first half in particular.

72 mins: Five being added. Cian Lynch named the TG4 man of match. Involved in everything, as they say. D Byrnes drifts a free wide. Tommy O'Connell again wins a free. Tim O'M drives it over from the right. Eoin Downey comes forward and slots another. One more play

71 mins: Cathal O'Neill from wide on left. He has 1-2.

69 mins: O'Mahony drops another free in and Quaid collects. Tommy O'Connell collects after a fairly wild one-hander from O'Mahony and Tommy points his third to the delight of his Fantasy Hurling backers.

68 mins: Barry Walsh exercises Nickie Quaid with a low one. No bother to the man. Out for a 65. Limerick up 11. Tim O reduces that to 10 from the 65.

65 mins: Tom Morrissey is on a while and was in acres there to fire over. Winding down now. Point there tho from Tim O'Mahony.

63 mins: Aidan O'Connor draws line under that episode with another fine point, his fourth from play. Gillane has departed the field -  a sensible sub from Kiely you'd have to say.

62 mins: Maybe it was Sean O Donoghue involved in pen because himself and Gillane are now reviewing the incident politely off the ball. Putting their noggins close together to make sure they can be heard. Seam Stack has gone in to interrupt the debate. Yellows for the two lads, who still seem to have more to discuss. 

60 mins: Gillane wins a pen for Limerick. Hard to know. You couldn't be up to his knack under a dropping ball. Used the body well at any rate and was sort of pulled down by O'Leary I think. Aidan O'Connor fires in the pen. bounced it to Collins' left, he went right. LIM 3-16 COR 0-15

59 mins: EC says: "March 7 is not the time for reverse passes. Tim O'Mahony's attempt at fancy was punished with that Limerick goal. Two Limerick points later and the gap is now at a not insignificant seven."

57 mins: Another beaut from Aidan O C after he put the brakes on and darted back inside his man. Couple of wides from Cork in there, shooting a touch aimlessly. Quaid finds Hugh Flanagan from puckout and he scores another for Limerick who are stretching clear. 2-16 to 0-15.

56 mins: GOAL Limerick. Worked by Cian Lynch after Tim O'Mahony was mugged on the ball. Cathal O'Neill fine finish from an angle. 2-14 to 0-15

55 mins: Aidan O'Connor carries and lofts one over from play, 1-14 to 0-15.

54 mins: Cork work one through a lot of hands and Shane Barrett applies the finish. 1-13 to 0-15. 

51 mins: Workaholic Tommy O'Connell wins a Cork free, Tim O'Mahony sticks it over. Darragh Fitz on now, Mullins off.

49 mins: This time Walsh isolated edge of square with Finn but the big man picks it off the ground. Big catch by Eoin Downey at other end. Wins free. P Collins lashes it wide from distance. Quality and tempo has dropped a notch second half but that's a well-worked point by Adam English. 

47 mins Big goal chance for Alan Walsh but he misses his pull when ball drops around square. Small hurley maybe. Ball had squirted out of Hayes' hands but Walsh pulled over ball. 

45 mins: Niall O'Leary on for Roche. 

43 mins: Limerick work triangles in a phonebox to find Cathal O'Neill who obliges with a point. One up again. Another slick passing move frees a marauding Kyle Hayes who is rugby tackled by Joyce. Black card territory? Prob yellow. Yes. Wasn't quite a goal chance. Handy free for O'Connor who slots. 1-12 to 0-13

42 mins Brian Hayes collects around the 40 and slots over off his left. Been a bit starved of possession but has feasted on anything sent his way. All square. 

40 mins: Harnedy on for Kingston. Cian Lynch points for Limerick. Harnedy impression swift. Wins it and frees Hayes who points. Eoin Roche is down with a hand injury. He's ok.

39 mins: EC notes: Four Limerick attacks in the four minutes after half-time come to nought. Barry Nash wide, Cathal O'Neill short, Gillane's kicked goal effort stifled, and Byrnes wide

36 mins: Gillane wins it but loses hurley, tries to kick for goal but crowded out. He usually comes out of those kind of tussles with two hurleys. Cian Lynch done for a throw. Harsh maybe. Tim O M pulls free wide from distance. Diamaid Byrnes returns serve with a fizzer wide. 

36 mins Nearly needed a blood sub there after machine crashed. Nice long half-time got us out of jail. Back at it now.

7:41 Here is Maurice Brosnan's report from Galway's pasting of Kilkenny.

37 mins: If this is just the opening bout of a "pentalogy" between Cork and Limerick this year, nobody seems to be sparing too much for bigger days. A small bit of a needle in it. 

36 mins: Another Lim free after Gillane wrestled with Millerick. O'Connor knocks over for one-point lead and that's it for an entertaining half. Lim 1-9 Cork 0-11

34 mins: Alan Walsh points for Cork after trogan efforts by Brian Hayes, much of it without the assistance of a hurley. All square. EC says: That is the exact sort of ball Hayes has been craving all half. Took some punishment from O'Donoghue before offloading to Alan Walsh.

32 mins: EC says: Five of the last seven scores for Limerick. Bar that Mullins effort that fell short in the last play, Brian Hayes has been largely starved of possession inside. Tim O'Mahony has stuck over a free now tho. Then Limerick's Hego hits post with attempt. Mike Casey wide with a hasty one.

30 mins Nice pace to things now, with plenty of 'duels' as the Premier League lads would have it. Shane O'Brien wins a free in and Daire O'Leary picks up another Cork yellow. That's their fourth I think. Ah, EC has been counting properly in the press box. "That's six yellows now in this night of needle in Limerick. Four for Cork (O'Leary, Mullins, O'Connell, and O'Mahony). Two for the hosts. They are Hayes and Hegarty." Free put over by O'Connor. 1-8 to 0-9.

28 mins Cian Lynch gets a loose knock and Stack brings up the free for Cork protests. Not the 30m it will be soon. Aidan O C points anyway. 

27 mins The size of the Cork ground in Gaelic Grounds evident in the jeers that hailed D Byrnes free drifting wide. 

24 mins Some discussions now, not quite melee level, but lots of parties interested in a meeting. Sean Stack issues yellow to Kyle Hayes for the high pull that ignited that little meeting of minds. The book is still out mind..Mullins and Hegarty get yellows for joining the meeting. Blood is up now and the throw ball that followed all that was keenly contested, lets say. 

22 mins Tim O'Mahony with a free for Cork. Diarmaid Byrnes catapults through for Limerick from deep and is felled. Handy free in. Aidan O C sticks over, his third.

21 mins Almost some trademark Kingston, danced through but just missed the connection with his finish with the whites of Nickie Quaid's eyes in view. 

19 mins Sean Finn with some typically tigerish work to emerge from thicket of Cork attackers. Wins his free out. Adam English lifts one over from wide on right. Still no shadow boxing on view. Or boxing, to be fair. 1-5 to 0-8

17 mins Adam English lasers a pass into Gillane who feeds O'Brien who gets bottled up in front of goal. Free out the verdict for over carrying. Limerick unhappy with Sean Stack there. 

16 mins: Gearoid Hego fouled by Shane Barrett for a free in. Aidan O C sticks it over. Nip and tuck.

15 mins: Shane Kingston, who's had quiet start, points for Cork after Limerick had a goal chance foiled. 1-3 to 0-8 

13 mins: Diarmaid Byrnes now gets a knock on the hat. Tim O'Mahony yellow card this time. 

12 mins: Tim O'Mahony points from long range free. Cian Lynch escapes in trademark fashion, bounces off the ground, feeds Gillane, who points.

11 mins; Cathal O'Neill slices over from out on the left. Back to one. 1-2 to 0-6. Kyle Hayes back on after some repairs.

UP FOR IT: Young Limerick supporters before the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A match between Limerick and Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Tom Beary/Sportsfile

9 mins: Tim O'Mahony free drops in dangerously, but Limerick inside line tidy up. Tommy O'Connell's early busyness has now extended to clipping the helmet off Kyle Hayes coming out. Yellow is enough, ref decides. Ben can't really argue I suppose, after his ventilated views on head taps. Free for Aidan O'Connor.

7 mins Barry Walsh opens the shoulders and drives over for Cork. Tommy O'Connell was involved, natch... Walsh collects and sends another over straight away. Cork aren't shadow boxing yet anyway. 

6 mins: Surely I remembered to put Tommy O'Connell back into my fantasy team. He's everywhere so far. Adam English wide for Limerick. Their shooting has been off so far, bar the goal.

4 mins: Aaron Gillane makes plenty of space for himself but lofts wide. Shane Barrett takes a pass in even more space and makes no mistake. 1-0 to 0-4

3 mins: Brian Hayes collects, turns his man and fires over a beauty. All square. 1-0 to 0-3. Aidan O'Connor puts free wide for Limerick.

1m: Great goal Shane O'Brien for Limerick. Blasts in high past Pat Collins. This might be hectic alright. Typists could need a shower of rain. Tommy O Connell again from the middle. 

0m: Tommy O'Connell fires over immediately. Hope they aren't going to be too hard on the typists tonight. Brian Hayes fires wide, in mercy.

6:57pm Aaron Niland hit 13 points in that Galway riddling of Kilkenny. Maurice Brosnan's report will be on the site soon. 

6:51pm Eoghan Cormican is in the Gaelic Grounds and has the team news. Ethan Twomey doesn't start or tog for Cork. Damien Cahalane in for first start of League. Darragh O'Sullivan, on the bench, wears No.5. Limerick as named

LIMERICK: N. Quaid; S. Finn, M. Casey, B. Nash; D. Byrnes, W. O’Donoghue, K. Hayes; A. English, C. Lynch (c); G. Hegarty, A. O’Connor, C. O’Neill; A. Gillane, S. O’Brien, D. Reidy. Subs: C. Ryan, C. Coughlan, F. Fitzgerald, H. Flanagan, E. Hurley, D. Langan, D. Morrissey, T. Morrissey, D. Ó Dalaigh, P. O’Donovan, O. O’Farrell.

Cork: P Collins (Ballinhassig); E Roche (Bride Rovers), D O’Leary (Watergrasshill), G Millerick (Fr O’Neill’s); D Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), E Downey (Glen Rovers), M Mullins (Glen Rovers); T O’Connell (Midleton), C Joyce (Castlemartyr); B Walsh (Killeagh), T O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), S Kingston (Douglas); A Walsh (Kanturk), B Hayes (St Finbarr’s), S Barrett (Blarney).

PUCKING AROUND: Tommy O’Connell of Cork before the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A match between Limerick and Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

6:48pm: John Kiely says he's looking at a few new combinations with a few to championship. Ronan Curran on media duty for Cork - says they are trying to give as many players gametime as possible and see how "every fella puts his hand up".

6:46pm: All over in Salthill. Galway win it 0-35 to 0-17. Maybe the Cats jogged in from Ballinasloe beforehand. 

6:44pm Dublin have routed Down in Parnell. 6-32 to 0-18. 2-3 from Hedgo for the Dubs. 

6:40pm Galway have Kilkenny bet out the gate - it's 0-33 to 0-14 now. Cats handbrake? Or Galway that good. They have looked very sharp and are now in league final contention. 

6:37pm: Cork want to win everything and they will win everything, Alan Connolly assured us last week.

New Examiner columnist Patrick Horgan liked that kinda talk, saying you can't win either way, even if you go down the 'one game at a time' road. Mind you Connolly isn't starting tonight. Presumably nothing to do with his interview style. 

6:36pm: Will we see shadow boxing in the Gaelic Grounds? Dalo doesn't think so, or does he?

6:34pm: In Salthill, Galway are running away with it against Kilkenny. More than double scores 0-29 to 0-14.