Cork have to prove themselves all over again after second half switch off

BRUSH OFF: Cork’s Brian O’Driscoll fends of the challenge of Limerick’s Tony McCarthy in their Munster SFC quarter final at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Pic: James Lawlor, Inpho.

Cork 4-16 (4-0-16) Limerick 1-16 (1-2-12)

Unlike the sharp mood swings in the Cork performance, there’s a need for balance when sifting through and sizing up the county’s championship opener.

To come away disappointed and with a deluge of learnings from a nine-point victory is to occupy a privileged position.

John Cleary’s vexation at full-time will have quickly subsided. The landscape immediately in front of them could not have been painted or plotted more perfectly.

Cork go next to Thurles. That Munster semi-final against a rebuilding Premier throws-in on Saturday week. Cork will be expected to win comfortably there, the same as they were expected here. The intervening fortnight won’t now allow for an ounce of complacency. Not after what happened on home soil.

Cork’s outfield line-up was unchanged for the third game in succession. The team sheet is settled and stable. But after the careless switch-off and unacceptable strolling around of the second period, first-team certainties have to go and prove themselves all over again.

There’s also the welcome fact of the bench breathing down their neck. Conor Cahalane came in and kicked three from play. The second of those began with fellow sub, Brian Hurley, forcing an interception inside the Cork arc. Encouraging also was the full-of-running Conor Corbett contribution, this his first appearance since March 1.

If road-tested defensive cover is not overly plentiful, the attacking cast is plump.

What was most irritating about Cork’s second half was the glimmer of hope they provided to Limerick, where none should have existed.

While acknowledging their numerical disadvantage, stemming from Brian O’Driscoll’s 10 minutes in the sin bin and later 53rd minute dismissal for a yellow-card offence, there was just a complete lack of ruthlessness in their endeavours.

Same as against Offaly and Kildare, it’s an unhealthy practice to be slamming the door shut but not then turning the key. Cork are a Division 1 team now. Time to start behaving as one.

The returned-in-goals Micheál Aodh Martin put together a really competent opening half when kicking into the teeth of a famishing wind.

Five of his opening six restarts found red. There was variety too. His opener was chipped to Brian O’Driscoll on the edge of the arc. Longer missiles were launched to the right and left flanks, which was absolutely not the case in the Division 2 decider.

And then there was his first restart of the second half. A forecast of Cork’s unplugged second 35 minutes.

Martin chipped short to a green shirt. Limerick charged through. The Cork ‘keeper pulled down Robbie Childs to prevent a certain goal. Penalty Limerick.

The expectation among the crowd of 4,709 was for Martin to spend 10 minutes in the stand and a temporary recall for Pa Doyle. This never materialised. The baffling decision of Seamus Mulhane was to black card O’Driscoll instead.

Cork's Dara Sheedy celebrates his goal. Pic: ©INPHO/James Lawlor.

James Naughton buried low to Martin's left. The beginning of a 1-4 burst. Four of five Martin kick-outs were foiled. No Cork shot until the 47th minute, no Cork score until the 51st minute. Just six wind-assisted points.

The inconsistency Cork threw off during the successful Division 2 campaign crept back in.

The gap could easily have gone narrower than eight points. Killian Ryan smashed a goal drive off the post. Eliah Riordan’s two-point free went right and wide.

Cork had concluded the opening half with a similarly unanswered 1-4. Their opening half had hardly a single blemish.

Steven Sherlock’s vision and sumptuous kick-passing, Dara Sheedy’s direct lines of running, Seán McDonnell’s subtle playmaking, and Brian O’Driscoll’s bag of assists time and again unlocked the Limerick defence.

Sheedy and Tommy Walsh both struck green in the space of a minute for a 2-2 to 0-3 lead on the quarter-hour. McDonnell and Ian Maguire doubled the major count by the half-hour.

Cork were so impressively clinical. Limerick were so horrendously loose. That’s what happens when you have 10 key players unavailable and line out with only six of the side that began last summer’s Tailteann Cup final.

“That’s just the hand of cards we’ve been dealt, unfortunately,” said Jimmy Lee.

“Limerick football, it's not the main sport, so to attract people in we need to be competitive, and there's a bit to drive forward with [from that second-half]. The other positives, Eliah [Riordan], Seán Kilbridge, Shane Cross came in, they're all in year one.

“It's our job to keep them on the bus going forward, and hopefully get the rest back, and let's see where that takes us.”

Scorers for Cork: S Sherlock (0-4, 0-1 free, 0-1 ‘45); T Walsh, I Maguire, S McDonnell, D Sheedy (1-0 each); C Cahalane, M Cronin (0-3 each); P Walsh, C Óg Jones (0-2 each); L Fahy, B Hurley (0-1 each).

Scorers for Limerick: J Naughton (1-4, 1-0 pen, tp, 0-1 free); E Riordan (0-5, 0-4 45s, 0-1 free); B Coleman (0-2, tp); K Ryan, R O’Brien, C Fahy, M McCarthy, P Nash (0-1 each).

CORK: MA Martin; M Shanley, D O’Mahony, S Meehan; B O’Driscoll, T Walsh, L Fahy; C O’Callaghan, I Maguire; P Walsh, D Sheedy, S McDonnell; M Cronin, C Óg Jones, S Sherlock.

SUBS: C Cahalane for Sheedy (22-28, temp); C Cahalane for Sheedy (HT); C Corbett for McDonnell (54); B Hurley for Cronin (54); D Cashman for Fahy, D Buckey for Jones (both 66).

LIMERICK: J Alfred; C Woulfe, D Buckley, S Kilbridge; B Coleman, K Ryan, T McCarthy; E Riordan, J McCarthy; R O’Brien, C Fahy, P Maher; R Childs, J Naughton, D Neville.

SUBS: C McSweeney for J McCarthy, P Nash for Maher (both HT); S Cross for O’Brien (55); M McCarthy for T McCarthy (61).

REFEREE: S Mulhare (Laois).