Limerick suffer heavy Allianz Football League defeat to free-scoring Cork

LIMERICK senior footballers remain winless in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League after suffering a heavy 6-18 to 0-12 defeat to Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

“Cork were moving at a different pace from us in the first half, they just went for the jugular,” was manager Ray Dempsey's reaction to Limerick's crushing National Football League defeat.

Having thrown away a victory over Dublin in injury time in their previous outing, the winners had a point to prove to their management and supporters and did it in style as they steamrolled to a 24-point thrashing and handed their opponents a fourth successive defeat in their Division Two campaign.

Two goals in the first fifteen minutes opened a gap Limerick were never likely to over come and, floating on air with confidence, Cork moved on to lead by fifteen at the break before completing the rout. Coming after a spirited display against Louth and a second-half recovery against Dublin, it was a crushing defeat for the visitors as the composure and focus deserted them right through the lineup to leave them with a mountain to climb in their three final chances to avoid relegation.

Limerick's biggest disappointment was in defence where Cork sliced up the centre at will during the first half and that spread throughout the lineup as the confidence to pounce on the opportunity deserted them as well as the anticipation to capitalise on the break. Picking up on their opponents' uncertainty, the entire Rebel lineup lined up to make their mark and converted all but eight of their their thirty-plus chances of scores.

Defences dominated the opening minutes before Eoghan McSweeney got Cork off the mark and they had overcome their earlier hesitance when Chris Óg Jones drew his marker and laid off to Ian Maguire to finish to the net.

Limerick replied with Brian Donovan and Tony McCarthy finding the target before the Rebels picked it up again to rep;y through Steven |Sherlock and Seán Powter and an ominous outcome loomed into the visitors' view when Seán Powter collected in midfield off a turnover and soloed unchallenged up the centre of a hesitant defence to blast past Donal O'Sullivan,

Hugh Bourke's free and Iain Corbett replied but Limerick's efforts to find their inside forwards began to fall apart on the final delivery which gave Maguire, Jones and Colm O'Callaghan to stretch the Leesiders' lead and, following Daniel O'Mahony fisting over his own crossbar as he cut off Bourke's pass into the square, Sherlock added his second point before Powter ran onto a breaking ball, lifted it and gave O'Sullivan no chance as he whipped it low into the corner.

Going into injury time, Bourke broke the sequence but the Cork barrage continued with Brian Hurley ghosting inside his marker blast home goal number four and then adding a point before Matty Taylor sent the Leesiders into the dressing-room leading 4-9 to 0-6.

It didn't get any better for the visitors on the restart as Jones pointed within seconds. Donovan opened the defence at the other end only to see his shot hammer back off the crossbar and the clearance ending up with Eoghan McSweeney's long delivery found Jones climbing high on the edge of the ssquare to blast to the far corner.

Cillian Fahy broke the sequence to meet Sherlock's free and added a pair in reply Jones's long strike before Colm O'Callaghan returned the lead to nineteen.

After Ruairí Deane's goal was disallowed for a square ball, Sherlock's free was met by Mike Donovan before Jones struck twice for the Rebels and, after Sherlock's goal attempt hammered back off the crossbar, the clearance ended with Colm McSweeney pointing at the other end. But Cork still weren't letting up as Corbett pointed, then goaled after brushing past two challenges and, after Cian Sheehan replied in added time, Jones wrapped up the scoring.

SCORERS: CORK: Conor Corbett 2-1, Chris Óg Jones 0-6, Colm O'Callaghan 1-2, Steven Sherlock 0-5 (2 frees), Seán Powter, Brian Hurley 1-1 each, Ian Maguire 1-0, Matty Taylor, Eoghan McSweeney 0-1 each; LIMERICK: Cillian Fahy 0-3, Brian Donovan, Tony McCarthy, Iain Corbett, Daniel O'Mahony (own point), James Naughton (free), Hugh Bourke, Mike Donovan, Colm McSweeney, Cian Sheehan 0-1 each.

CORK: Mícheál Aodh Martin; Maurice Shanley, Daniel O'Mahony, Tommy Walsh; Luke Fahy, Rory Maguire, Matty Taylor; Colm O'Callaghan, Ian Maguire; Eogham McSweeney, Seán Powter, Brian O'Driscoll; Brian Hurley, Chris Óg Jones, Steven Sherlock. SUBS: Ruairí Deane for Brian O'Driscoll (injured, 5 minutes), Conor Corbett for Brian Hurley (half-time), Killian O'Hanlon for Ian Maguire (41 minutes), Seán Meehan for Tommy Walsh (head injury, 48 minutes), Kevin O'Donovan for Maurice Shanley (59 minutes), Mark Cronin for Seán Powter (61 minutes)

LIMERICK: Donal O'Sullivan; Dave Connolly, Brian Fanning, Seán O'Dea; Tony McCarthy, Iain Corbett, Cillian Fahy; Colm McSweeney, Cathal Downes; Cian Sheehan, James Naughton, Paul Maher; Gordon Brown, Brian Donovan, Hugh Bourke. SUBS: Mike Donovan for Dave Connolly (half-time), Peter Nash for Paul Maher (half-time), Killian Ryan for Gordon Brown (half-time), Adrian Enright for Brian Donovan (49 minutes), Jim Liston for Hugh Bourke (59 minutes).

REFEREE: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).