Mark Riordan of Limerick has a shot on goal saved by Cork goalkeeper Paudie O'Connor during the Electric Ireland Munster GAA Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final match between Limerick and Cork at Semple Stadium in Thurles.
Electric Ireland Munster Minor Hurling Championship Semi-finals
WATERFORD 2-25 TIPPERARY 4-11
CORK 1-24 LIMERICK 1-14
Cork and Waterford were equally impressive tonight in the Electric Ireland Munster minor hurling championship semi-finals, as they put Limerick and Tipperary to the sword in two devastating attacking displays.
Cork had already shown their incredible array of talent in the first round against Clare and while they came up against a tougher opponent this time in the shape of the reigning Munster champions, they still had more than enough to win at their ease, with David Fitzgerald’s late goal for Limerick arriving long after the Rebels had confirmed their place in the provincial decider on August 9.
A couple of points for Shane O’Brien pushed Limerick into an early 0-3 to 0-1 advantage, but by the first half water break it was level at 0-5 each, and Cork kicked on to lead by 0-13 to 0-7. Jack Leahy was already well on his way to his final tally of 1-14, 1-4 from play, while Tadhg O’Connell and Diarmuid Healy also had a couple of points each in the half.
Limerick goalkeeper Tomás Lynch was called upon a couple of times to make key saves to keep his team in the game but he could do nothing about the shots that were raining over his crossbar, and once he was beaten at the start of the fourth quarter by Leahy’s goalbound shot, brilliantly set up by Timmy Wilk, the Rebels were ten up and cruising.
The final margin of eight points at Páirc Uí Rinn was equally deceptive, as the Premier county got three goals in the closing minutes from Darragh Minogue, Tauri Shayanewako, and Ronan Connolly, but there was no masking Waterford’s control of the game.
Like Limerick, Tipperary got out to a slightly better start to go 0-4 to 0-2 up, but Waterford replied with six points in a row to lead by four at the water break, and the second quarter was completely one-sided. Liam Ó Siothcháin set up Peter Cummins for a goal, Patrick Fitzgerald piled on the frees, as Waterford moved 1-14 to 0-5 in front by half time.
A goal from Minogue after 35 minutes and they tacked on some points to cut the gap to nine, but Waterford soon took over again, with all six Waterford forwards getting their name on the scoresheet and Jack Twomey adding their second goal, before Tipperary’s late flourish reduced the margin.
