Diarmuid Mullins: Limerick 'died with their boots on' in Munster U20 hurling final loss

"THEY died with their boots on" praised the Limerick manager of his player's effort in Wednesday's Munster U20 Hurling Championship Final defeat.

Diarmuid Mullins was speaking after Limerick's dramatic late fightback just fell short by two points to reigning Munster and All Ireland U20 champions Cork.

"It was a fantastic effort from our lads - coming down to play the All Ireland champions in Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Of course we didn't do everything right but there was very little between the two teams at the end and we were just the wrong side of it by two points and it's very disappointing for the lads," said the Limerick manager.

"We had chances to win the game and we didn't take them at the end and Cork finished it out but they really died with their boots on."

Limerick tailed by six points but battled back to level until Cork finally scored three of the final four points to edge the victory in a final where they were six minutes of injury time. 

"We were slightly worried going into the last water break because we were five points down but we got back with a great goal from Diarmuid (Hegarty) and we were back level. We had a couple of chances to go a point up which would have been crucial at that stage. When we got back level with a minute to go I would have been happy if there was only a couple of minutes of injury time and we could have snuck it, but if you asked me at the water break I would have been delighted with five or six minutes of injury time - that's the way it goes."

Mullins added: "It doesn't take away from the result but I did think within the six minutes when we got one free there was a stoppage again and he only played 20-seconds again over the six minutes and that might be a slight criticism but we have no excuses".

Limerick were backed by a strong breeze in the first half but trailed 1-13 to 0-14 at the break.

"We won the toss and decided to play with the wind. We would have liked to be ahead at half time and we weren't but if you look at we were probably better into the breeze when you look at the scores - we were two points down at half time so the second half was a draw. We probably didn't get enough ball into our full forward line in the first half. Any time we ran at them we won frees but we probably didn't get enough ball into the full forward line as we would like," he recalled.

"The early Cork goal was a set-back at that stage."

While Cork were ahead from the 27th minute until the 58th minute and saw numerous goal chances spurned, the Limerick manager is adamant that it is about getting into a winning position down the home straight.

"The game is played over the 66 or 67 minutes and I think with three minutes to go it was a draw game and we had a few chances to get ahead but they took theirs. Even at the end Aidan (O'Connor) turned and made a great run inside but there was a great tackle from the Cork corner back," he outlined. 

"There are only small things between good teams - there were only three teams left in the competition; Galway, Cork and Limerick and we would have loved to get over but we now have to dust ourselves down and a couple of lads go back in with the senior team and all the other lads will have to get back working at it again and see what team they will be involved with next year."

"I am really proud of their efforts. The lads trained really really well but we also had a few injuries - Jimmy Quilty wasn't able to play a whole pile before the championship due to injury and Adam (English) is coming back off an injury. Little things like that but no excuses. We prepared the team as good as we could - we thought we could win the game when we came down here tonight and we have just fallen short, which is a real pity for the lads."