Munster SFC Q-Final: Cork first-half goal-rush floors Limerick
Ian Maguire of Cork scores his side's fourth goal during the Munster GAA Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between Cork and Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile.
Munster SFC Quarter-Final
CORK 4-16 LIMERICK 1-16
By Jack McKay at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh
After dominating Limerick and running the show against the breeze in the first half, Cork fell flat in their backs in the second period, struggling across the finish line in their Munster Senior Football Championship quarter-final to win by nine.
The Leesiders enjoyed a 4-10 to 0-7 half-time lead at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, but faltered in the second, scoring a mere six points.
Despite being with the wind in the second period – albeit weaker than it was in the first – the Rebels could not manage a score until the 51st minute.
By that stage, they had conceded 1-4 to Limerick, all but one of those scores from placed balls. The goal arrived in the 37th minute, James Naughton dispatching the penalty after Robbie Childs was brought down by Micheál Aodh Martin, but Brian O’Driscoll was deemed the initial culprit and shown a black card by the referee.
Even after Cork did get off the mark in the latter act, they had still only tallied 0-2 by the 60th minute, and Limerick had reduced the gap down to eight.
A strong bench impact from Conor Cahalane – who scored 0-3 – and Limerick’s failure to capitalise on the numerical advantage ensured Cork never looked like being beaten.
Given the stiff breeze favoured Limerick so overwhelmingly in the first half, it looked as if this one might remain competitive for a period, but Cork’s four-goal blitz ensured it did not.
The hosts took time to settle in against the gale in the early stages – Limerick led 0-3 to 0-2 after 10 minutes, James Naughton opening the scoring after six with a superb two-pointer – but once Cork found their first green flag, the blood and bandage were unstoppable.
With 14 minutes elapsed, Colm O’Callaghan leapt to claim Micheál Aodh Martin’s kickout, offloaded to Paul Walsh, who set up Dara Sheedy. Set to feature again for the U20s on Thursday, Sheedy raced forward and thundered home his first Cork senior goal.
A minute later the hosts were in again, Tommy Walsh the finisher on this occasion as he blasted home from a tight angle. Killian Ryan clipped a point back for Limerick to leave it 2-3 to 0-4 after 20 minutes, but in the remaining 15 of the first half, Cork outscored their opponents 2-7 to 0-2.
The goals were well-taken, but all too easily engineered. Chris Óg Jones and Brian O’Driscoll swept forward together before Jones set up Seán McDonnell’s palmed finish in the 23rd minute.
The fourth major arrived on minute 29, Ian Maguire venturing forward and pulling off a clever dummy before tapping home beyond Jeffrey Alfred.
The second half should have brought more of the same from Cork, but they struggled immensely on kickouts and allowed Limerick to get shots off against the breeze all too easily.
Scorers for Cork: Steven Sherlock 0-4 (0-1 f, 0-1 45), Tommy Walsh, Ian Maguire, Seán McDonnell, Dara Sheedy 1-0 each, Mark Cronin, Conor Cahalane 0-3 each, Paul Walsh, Chris Óg Jones 0-2 each, Luke Fahy, Brian Hurley 0-1 each.
Scorers for Limerick: James Naughton 1-4 (1 tp, 0-1 f), Eliah O’Riordan 0-5 (0-1 f, 0-4 45), Barry Coleman 0-2 (tp), Killian Ryan, Rory O’Brien, Cillian Fahy, Mark McCarthy, Peter Nash 0-1.
Cork: Micheál Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O'Mahony, Seán Meehan; Brian O'Driscoll, Tommy Walsh, Luke Fahy; Colm O'Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Paul Walsh, Mark Cronin, Seán McDonnell; Chris Óg Jones, Dara Sheedy, Steven Sherlock. Subs: Conor Cahalane for Sheedy (22-28, temp), Cahalane for Sheedy (HT), Conor Corbett for McDonnell (54), Brian Hurley for Cronin (54), David Buckley for Jones, Darragh Cashman for Fahy (both 67).
Limerick: Jeffrey Alfred; Sean Kilbridge, Cormac Woulfe, Diarmuid Buckley; Barry Coleman, Killian Ryan, Tony McCarthy; Eliah O'Riordan, Jack McCarthy; Rory O'Brien, Cillian Fahy, Paul Maher; Robbie Childs, James Naughton, Danny Neville. Subs: Colm McSweeney for McCarthy, Peter Nash for Maher (both HT), Shane Cross for O’Brien (55). Mark McCarthy for T McCarthy (61).
Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois)
