Limerick with no answer to Cork power in 13-point Munster minor hurling defeat

LIMERICK had no answer to Cork's power in the Munster minor hurling championship this Tuesday evening.

The final score in Pairc Ui Chaoimh was Cork 4-21, Limerick 2-14.

Despite the 13-point loss, Limerick remain in the competition with a round two group game against Kerry next Tuesday in the TUS Gaelic Grounds. A Limerick win in that April 19 tie would secure a home quarter final against Clare or Waterford.

In this Cork tie, Limerick trailed 2-12 to 1-7 at half time.

Cork had a round one win over Kerry and looked the sharper outfit from the off.

They home side hit the ground running and had four points scored before Limerick got off the mark in the sixth minute.

Pierce Connery was the only player in the Limerick line-up that saw action in last year's championship and it was the Kilmallock man that had the first score for his side.

But it was only a temporary with Cork rattling home their first goal in the 10th minute from Sean O'Donoghue. That had the teenagers in red 1-6 to 0-1 ahead.

Another Connery score interrupted the run of Cork scores as Limerick found their feet in response to the Cork goal.

Darren Collopy had a tonic Limerick goal on 14-minutes when the corner forward battled well to find the net.

All of a sudden it was 1-7 to 1-4 when Bradley Moran landed a long range free.

But that was as good as it got for Limerick in the opening half.

Cork roared back into the contest with another run of scores to lead 1-10 to 1-4.

Another Moran free came Limerick's way but then Cork had goal no2 when Ross O'Sullivan finally beat Fionn O'Brien, who had denied him with two fine earlier saves.

Captain Darragh Langan had a rare Limerick score from play just before half time but it was a deficit of eight points at the interval.

Limerick needed to settle early in the second half but instead it was Cork that continued to dominate.

O'Sullivan's second goal eased them 3-15 to 1-7 ahead before Limerick reopened their scoring.

Connery had a Limerick point but a second Limerick goal - sub Ciaran McMahon and Fintan Fitzgerald combined to create the opening for Mark Field and he finished neatly to the net.

That left it 3-15 to 2-8 and 10minutes gone in the second half.

Just after the mid-point of the half, O'Sullivan had his third goal and Cork were 4-17 to 2-9 ahead.

He departed soon after with a return of 3-5 from play for the corner forward.

Credit Limerick they battled to the end.

Collopy landed frees and a score from play, while lively sub McMahon was also on the scoresheet as Limerick found late points. Connery landed his fourth from play to ensure Limerick scored five of the final seven points and garner some confidence ahead of Kerry next week.

SCORERS: Limerick: Darren Collopy 1-5 (0-4 frees), Pierce Connery 0-4, Bradley Moran 0-3 (2frees, 1 '65), Mark Field 1-0, Darragh Langan and Ciaran McMahon 0-1 each. Cork: Ross O'Sullivan 3-9 (2frees, 2 '65), James Murray 0-4, Adam O'Sullivan 0-3, Sean O'Donoghue 1-0, Timmy Wilk 0-2, Jayden Casey, Ben Murphy and Daniel Murnane 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Fionn O'Brien (Bruree); Billy Earls (Patrickswell), Shane Fitzgibbon (Dromin-Athlacca-Banogue), Jack Daly (Croom); Diarmuid Lyons (Newcastle West), Conor Frawley (Bruree), Darragh Langan (Monaleen); Fintan Fitzgerald (Mungret St Pauls), Owen Meany (Bruff); Pierce Connery (Kilmallock), Bradley Moran (Na Piarsaigh), Mark Field (Monaleen); Tadgh Hourigan (Pallasgreen), Josh Sheehan (Na Piarsaigh), Darren Collopy (Murroe-Boher). Subs: Ciaran McMahon (Kildimo-Pallaskeny) for Bradley Moran (36mins), Michael O'Riordan (Bruff) for Josh Sheehan (41mins), Ben Murnane (Monaleen) for Diarmuid Lyons (41mins), Patrick Mooney (Staker Wallace) for Jack Daly (45mins), Sean Hartigan (Kildimo-Pallaskeny) for Tadgh Hourigan (48mins).

CORK: Daniel O’Connell (Dromina); Tadhg O’Leary Hayes (Midleton), James O’Brien (Fermoy), Eoin Guinane (Valley Rovers); Sean Ahern (Bandon), Daniel Murnane (Carrigtwohill), Matthew Woods (Valley Rovers); Peter O’Shea (Erins Own), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); Adam O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig), Timmy Wilk, Jayden Casey (Youghal); Ross O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh), James Murray (Youghal), Sean O’Donoghue (St Catherines). Subs: Cian Buckley (St Finbarrs), for Sean Ahern (44mins), Eoin O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum) for Ben Walsh (47mins), Stephen Lynam (Glen Rovers) for Sean O’Donoghue (50mins), Dylan McCarthy (Killeagh) for Ross O’Sullivan (50mins), Oisin Fitzgerald (St Catherines) for Daniel Murnane (53mins).

REFEREE: Jarlath Donnellan (Clare)