Gallant Limerick just denied with late fightback against Cork in Munster U20 hurling final

A GALLANT display but defeat for Limerick in the Munster U20 hurling final.

In Pairc Ui Chaoimh it finished Limerick 1-24 Cork 1-26.

Limerick trailed by six points in the final quarter but battled back to level but in the end three of the final four points sealed it for Cork.

Cork looked to be well on top for long periods but Limerick somehow managed to hold them to just one goal.

Fifteen frees from Cathal O'Neill kept Limerick in touch throughout.

Limerick had the aid of a strong breeze in the opening half but trailed by two points at half time - 1-13 to 0-14.

The sides were level on seven occasions in the half in which Limerick had five wides and Cork three.

It was a very stop-start half with little flow and the scoring dominated by the free-taking of Cathal O'Neill (9) and Darragh Flynn (7).

The crucial score of the half came before the stopwatch reached two minutes - Padraig Power turning the Limerick defence too easy to score a goal.

Limerick already had points from Diarmuid Hegarty and O'Neill before the goal and another O'Neill free had the final level for the first time in the third minute.

By the first half water break it was a 0-8 to 1-4 lead for Limerick with Aidan O'Connor and Bryan Nix with points to edge the visitors Leeside ahead.

While Limerick's defence was on the backfoot at times, O'Neill frees and a second Hegarty point edged the lead out to 0-11 to 1-5 on 20-minutes.

That Hegarty point was Limerick's final score from play in the half.

There was still a Limerick lead on 26-minutes, 0-13 to 1-9, but Cork found the next four points to lead a goal for the first time.

The ninth O'Neill free in injury time left Limerick two in arrears at the break, 0-14 to 1-13.

By the second half water break the lead was out to five points, 1-21 to 0-19.

Limerick were never closer than a goal in this third quarter.

Adam English, Cathal O'Neill and Aidan O'Connor had points from play but down the other end Cork were getting their scores a lot easier and had the lead at five points with 10-minutes played in the new half.

A third from Hegarty helped reduce the lead to a goal but two quick-fire points before the water break left Cork five clear.

And, on the resumption their advantage was six for the first time.

But back came Limerick and Diarmuid Hegarty found the net on 52-minutes to leave it 1-20 to 1-23 and still in the mix.

And soon it was a one point game with two O'Neill frees and still three minutes to play.

Then 31-minutes after the last time the game was level, O'Neill tied it up for the eighth time with another placed ball.

O'Neill had a free to go ahead but it went wide and Cork went up the field to move two clear in the opening exchanges of six minutes of injury time

A 15th O'Neill free again left one between them but Ben Cunningham left Limerick needing a goal which never came.

SCORERS: Limerick: Cathal O'Neill 0-16 (15frees), Diarmuid Hegarty 1-3 Adam English and Aidan O'Connor 0-2 each, Bryan Nix 0-1.

Cork: Darragh Flynn 0-12 (7frees), Padraig Power 1-5, Robbie Cotter 0-3, Brian Hayes and Ben Cunningham 0-2 each, Brian O'Sullivan and Jack Cahalane 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Conor O’Neill (Ballybrown); Chris Thomas (Doon), Pádraig Harnett (Ahane), Michael Keane (Adare); Emmet McEvoy (Na Piarsaigh), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown), Cormac Ryan (Doon); Jimmy Quilty (Blackrock), Cathal Downes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry); Diarmuid Hegarty (St Patricks), Cathal O’Neill (Crecora-Manister), Adam English (Doon); Bryan Nix (Newcastle West), Aidan O'Connor (Ballybrown), Ronan Fox (Ahane). Subs: Ethan Hurley (Newcastle West) for Cormac Ryan, inj (32mins), Fergal O’Connor (Effin) for Michael Keane (40mins), Patrick Kirby (Patrickswell) for Cathal Downes (43mins), Eddie Stokes (Doon) for Ronan Fox (52mins).

CORK: Cathal Wilson; Eoin Downey, Daire O'Leary, Cormac O'Brien; Ethan Twomey, Ciaran Joyce, Kevin Moynihan, Sam Quirke, Brian O'Sullivan; Darragh Flynn, Daniel Hogan, Brian Hayes; Robbie Cotter, Padraig Power, Jack Cahalane. Subs: BeCunningham for Daniel Hogan (42mins), Cillian O'Donovan for Daire O'Leary, inj (49mins), Michael Mullins for Brian O'Sullilvan (51mins), Luke Horgan for Robbie Cotter (52mins).

REFEREE: Kevin Jordan (Tipperary).