oneills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship

Cork 1-25 Limerick 2-20

By Stephen Barry at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh

All-Ireland champions Cork copper-fastened their place in the Munster U20 knock-out stages after holding out for a two-point victory over Limerick.

They trailed as late as the 44^th minute but Jack Leahy’s tally of 14 points (10 frees) and five from Diarmuid Healy set them right before Barry Walsh’s goal helped to seal a third win on the spin.

Limerick pushed hard and had a last-minute Tadhg Boddy goaled free to cut the deficit. The Rebels retained the puck-out to close out the victory, which leaves the visitors without a point and reliant on other results to give them a slim chance of progressing in the top three.

Ben O’Connor rewarded Eoin O’Leary for his form with a start in place of last week's goalscorer Ross O’Sullivan in his ultra-competitive team selection.

Limerick made two changes from their loss to Tipperary, with starts for David Fitzgerald and Seán Casey in defence.

They held their hosts out for the first quarter as the Treaty took a 0-8 to 0-4 lead. They landed six dead balls from Oisín O’Farrell (0-5), who added a point from play, and Cian Scully (0-1), to just one Cork score in response.

O’Farrell also had a shot at goal saved by Paudie O’Sullivan’s foot after a brilliant catch by Hugh Flanagan.

But Cork began to get more bodies around the breaking ball and with that supply, Healy and Leahy did heavy damage. Lisgoold’s Healy had four from play by the break, while Leahy tallied 0-7 (four frees).

When their midfielders combined for a Ben Walsh score, they were level at 0-9 apiece. They were all square twice more but Cork pulled away with a pair each from the usual suspects, Leahy and Healy.

O’Farrell’s seventh left it 0-14 to 0-12 at half-time; an 82% shot efficiency the key statistic for Cork.

That dipped sharply on the resumption as Limerick edged ahead with a Fintan Fitzgerald brace and Shane O’Brien’s third.

Cork had the next two but Limerick were back ahead in the 40^th minute when Fitzgerald’s superb dummy allowed him to thread the ball into an unguarded net after a Con Hayes turnover. 1-15 to 0-16.

Cork rose to the challenge by necklacing the next 1-6 without reply. An acute William Buckley point was followed by four Leahy frees. Then, in the 50^th minute, a Limerick giveaway to Tadhg O’Connell was punished severely as substitutes Adam O’Sullivan and Barry Walsh combined, with the latter finding the net.

A Leahy interception from the puck-out completed the streak to move Cork seven ahead.

There was still six in the difference entering stoppage time as two close-range Scully frees were saved by Paudie and Darragh O’Sullivan, while the keeper also tipped over Vince Harrington’s bullet.

Boddy’s late free came too late to rescue a winner.

Scorers for Cork: Jack Leahy 0-14 (10f); Diarmuid Healy 0-5; Barry Walsh 1-0; William Buckley 0-2; Cillian Tobin, Ben Walsh, Tadhg O’Connell, Eoin O’Leary 0-1 each.

Scorers for Limerick: Oisín O’Farrell 0-9 (6f, 1 65); Fintan Fitzgerald 1-2; Tadhg Boddy 1-0 (f); Cian Scully (2f), Shane O’Brien 0-3 each; Vince Harrington, Robert O’Farrell, Hugh Flanagan 0-1 each.

CORK: Paudie O’Sullivan; Denis Cashman, Kevin Lyons, Darragh O’Sullivan; James Dwyer, Óran O’Regan, Cillian Tobin; Mikey Finn, Ben Walsh; David Cremin, Tadhg O’Connell, Diarmuid Healy; William Buckley, Jack Leahy, Eoin O’Leary.

Subs: Barry Walsh for O’Leary (44), Adam O’Sullivan for Finn (48), Peter O’Shea for Ben Walsh (51), Timmy Wilk for Tobin (54), Ross O’Sullivan for O’Connell (58).

LIMERICK: Pierce Connery; Mikey Fitzgibbon, Darragh Langan, David Fitzgerald; Vince Harrington, Seán Casey, Cian Scully; Joe Fitzgerald, Matthew Fitzgerald; Hugh Flanagan, Con Hayes, Robert O’Farrell; Fintan Fitzgerald, Shane O’Brien, Oisín O’Farrell.

Subs: William Dore for M Fitzgibbon (h-t), Dara Ferland for R O’Farrell (46), Jack Fitzgibbon for M Fitzgerald (52), Tadhg Boddy for Hayes (55), Barry Adams for J Fitzgerald (56).

Referee: Alan Tierney (Tipperary).