Electric Ireland Munster MHC

LIMERICK 1-20 CORK 0-17

By Denis Hurley at Pairc Ui Chaoimh

Limerick made it two wins from two as they became the first away team to win a game under the new Electric Ireland Munster MHC format with victory over Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday evening.

Cathal O’Neill gave Limerick the lead with a long-range free inside the first minute and that was symbolic of the game as a whole, with the wing-forward finishing with 11 points to his name, six of them in the first half, the end of which Limerick led by 0-12 to 0-7.

Cork operated with an extra man in defence, having conceded seven goals in their previous two games, but that meant one body fewer in attack and the Shannonsiders were able to limit the hosts’ threat.

Corner-forward Jack Cahalane had four points for the Rebels in the opening half, all from frees, but Limerick had a wider spread of scorers while O’Neill was deadly accurate. Patrick Kirby, Diarmuid Hegarty and Cormac Ryan were all on the scoresheet for the Treatymen too.

Cork reverted to a man-for-man formation for the second half and a long-range Cormac O’Brien free cut the gap on the resumption, but Limerick replied with an O’Neill free and 65. While Cahalane (free) and Ethan Twomey had Cork points to bring them back to four, 0-14 to 0-10, Limerick struck for the decisive blow on 42 minutes as Diarmdui Hegarty fed Cormac Ryan and the centre-forward weaved his way through the defence before firing past Cian Long.

Points in the wake of the goal from O’Neill and Hegarty (two) had Limerick 10 to the good, 1-17 to 0-10, and while Cahalane and O’Brien had two points each as Cork sought to eat into the gap, Limerick saw the game out efficiently and effectively.

Scorers for Limerick: Cathal O’Neill 0-11 (7fs, 1 65), Cormac Ryan 1-1, Diarmuid Hegarty 0-3, Eoin O’Mahony, Patrick Kirby 0-2 each, Colin Coughlan 0-1.

**Scorers for Cork: **Jack Cahalane 0-6 (6fs), Cormac O’Brien 0-4 (3fs), Ethan Twomey, Pádraig Power (1f) 0-2 each, Olan Broderick, Daniel Hogan, Fergal O’Leary 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Bryan Heavey; Pádraig Harnett, Ben Herlihy, Michael Keane; Eoin O’Mahony, Emmet McEvoy, Jack Nicholas; Patrick Kirby, Barry O’Connor; Diarmuid Hegarty, Cormac Ryan, Colin Coughlan; Cathal O’Neill, Bob Purcell, Bryan Nix.

Subs: David Riordan for Nix (37), Danny O’Leary for Coughlan (54), Michael Martin for Kirby (56), Kyran O’Donnell for Herlihy (57), David Hickey for Purcell (60).

CORK: Cian Long; Ciarán O’Brien, Niall O’Riordan, Cian McCarthy; Cormac O’Brien; Luke Horgan, Cian O’Donovan, Cillian O’Donovan; Ethan Twomey, Olan Broderick; Pádraig Power, Shane Barrett, Daniel Hogan; Paddy O’Flynn, Jack Cahalane.

Subs: Aaron Mulcahy for O’Flynn (34), Cathal Hickey for Broderick (44), Ryan McCarthy for Cian McCarthy (47), Fergal O’Leary for Hogan (48), Paul Cooney for Cahalane (56).

REFEREE: Joe Mullins (Clare)

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Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Preliminary Quarter-Finals

WESTMEATH 1-18 MEATH 1-11

KILDARE 2-15 DOWN 0-1

ANTRIM 3-8 CARLOW 1-12

A great weekend for **Westmeath **hurling was kicked off in style by their minor hurlers at TEG Cusack Park  when outstanding attacking performances from Dean Ennis (0-6) and Shane Williams (1-3) helped them to a 1-18 to 1-11 win over **Meath **at their home venue in Mullingar.

The result sets up a quarter final clash with Kilkenny for the Lake County men, who had to produce some excellent hurling in the second half to shake off a dogged Meath side. Dylan Farrell got the visiting Royal County side off to a great start with a point after 14 seconds, and on a perfectly still day, the tie was finely poised by the 25-minute mark when Cathal Sherlock’s goal tied up the game at 0-7 to 1-4.

David Devine, Ennis and David Hickey pointed to help Westmeath build up an 0-10 to 1-4 interval lead and while the first four points of the second half were equally shared, Williams produced a magnificent finish to put distance between the sides after 42 minutes.

Meath continued to produce some fine hurling,but they could do nothing to prevent Westmeath advancing to a quarter final clash with Kilkenny in a fortnight’s time.

**Antrim **edged past **Carlow **by 3-8 to 1-12 which set up a meeting with Dublin, while **Kildare **had no real difficulty against **Down **in the other game that was played at Abbotstown, racking up a 2-15 to 0-1 win that ensures they will play Wexford in the quarter final round. Offaly and Laois are the other teams still standing, with their places in the last eight secured before today.

Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Quarter-Finals draw

OFFALY v LAOIS

KILDARE v WEXFORD

WESTMEATH v KILKENNY

ANTRIM v DUBLIN