2024 oneills.com Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship – Cork 1-25 Limerick 2-20

Cork defeated Limerick by 1-25 to 2-20 in Round 3 of the oneills.com Munster Under 20 Hurling Championship on Friday April 26th at Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Cork U20 go three on the bounce with win over Limerick https://t.co/oMrewERnmV

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) April 26, 2024

Cork U20 go three on the bounce with win over Limerick

Munster U20HC: Cork 1-25 Limerick 2-20

Report by Eoghan Cormican for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Still unbeaten. And now a step further on in their journey.

Cork’s third victory of the Munster U20 round-robin guarantees Ben O’Connor’s youngsters a top-three finish and involvement in the knockout stages.

For now, they have at the very least a semi-final spot secured. But they’ll also know that direct passage to the decider can be achieved by bettering Tipperary in their final round-robin fixture next Friday evening in Thurles.

Most encouraging for the Cork management and most ominous for everybody outside the Cork camp is that the champions have racked up three wins on the trot without rising to any really outstanding level. It’s been more a case of patches here and patches of brilliance there.

Their outstanding patch here was directly following Limerick’s opening goal. Ahead by 0-14 to 0-12 at the break, Cork were overtaken by three-in-a-row from Fintan Fitzgerald (0-2) and Shane O’Brien within six minutes of the restart.

Tadhg O’Connell and a Jack Leahy free, following a foul on William Buckley, quickly returned the hosts 0-16 to 0-15 in front. It was at this juncture that Limerick fashioned a potentially momentum-shifting green flag.

Con Hayes ferried and offloaded to the aforementioned Fitzgerald. His wicked sidestep took out Darragh O’Sullivan and ‘keeper Paudie O’Sullivan.

Winless arriving on Leeside and in desperate need of points to shift themselves up the table, the 40th minute major had Limerick on the road to somewhere better than the road they came in on.

Cork’s response, though, was awesome. 1-6 without reply. A two-point deficit transformed into a seven-point lead in the space of 10 minutes.

Jack Leahy, who finished with 0-14 beside his name, nailed four frees and a fifth from play during this game-deciding burst. The remaining white flag to be accounted for was a William Buckley wonder score from the South Stand sideline and no more than 12 metres from the endline.

As for the goal, that was a bench one-two. Adam O’Sullivan fed fellow sub Barry Walsh who finished.

Limerick sought to swell their own goal count at the finish. Cian Scully twice had close-range frees repelled. Fellow half-back Vince Harrington had his drive flicked over by O’Sullivan.

Sub Tadhg Boddy did eventually find a gap from yet another close-in free. It was not enough and had arrived too late. Though still unbeaten, Limerick can, mathematically, still finish in the top three.

The exact same as against Clare a fortnight ago, Cork took their time in getting going. But unlike a fortnight ago, Cork’s lethargic start could not be explained away by their being outclassed.

Their opponents were far from dictating affairs. Ben O’Connor’s charges were simply lax and leisurely, had the look of a side waiting and expecting it to happen rather than making it so.

Limerick hurtled into a double-scores 0-8 to 0-4 advantage by the end of the first quarter. Six of that total arrived from the placed ball. David Cremin, James Dwyer, Óran O’Regan, and Denis Cashman fouled either the man or the ball.

Treaty sharpshooters Oisín O’Farrell and Scully punished each indiscretion and moment of indecisiveness. The former could have had a 12th minute goal, Paudie O’Sullivan deflecting away the corner-forward’s low drive.

The visitors would add only three further points to their total in the second quarter. It was a period where they were taken for 10 white flags.

When Cork eventually hit stride, it was Diarmuid Healy and Jack Leahy galloping out in front. The pair were so clinical and so menacing. The pair were responsible for 0-11 of Cork’s 0-14 first-half figure. Healy struck four from play, Leahy one behind him. At one stage, the latter was found attempting to carry possession safely away from the Cork 20-metre line. They were everywhere and doing, not everything, but not far off it either.

In an open and enjoyable contest, the pair provided an attractive highlights reel.

Scorers for Cork: J Leahy (0-14, 0-10 frees); D Healy (0-5); Barry Walsh (1-0); W Buckley (0-2); C Tobin, Ben Walsh, T O’Connell, E O’Leary (0-1 each).

Scorers for Limerick: O O’Farrell (0-9, 0-6 frees, 0-1 ‘65); F Fitzgerald (1-2); T Boddy (1-0, 1-0 free); C Scully (0-2 frees), S O’Brien (0-3 each); V Harrington, R O’Farrell, H Flanagan (0-1 each).

CORK: P O’Sullivan (Fr. O’Neill’s); D Cashman (Bride Rovers), K Lyons (Ballygarvan), D O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); J Dwyer (Ballincollig), Ó O’Regan (Erins Own), C Tobin (Bride Rovers); M Finn (Midleton), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); D Cremin (Midleton), T O’Connell (Ballincollig), D Healy (Lisgoold); W Buckley (St Finbarr’s), J Leahy (Dungourney), E O’Leary (Glen Rovers).
Subs: Barry Walsh (Killeagh) for O’Leary (43); A O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig) for Finn (48); P O’Shea (Erin’s Own) for Ben Walsh (51); T Wilk (Cobh) for Tobin (54); R O’Sullivan (Na Piarsaigh) for Cremin (57).

LIMERICK: P Connery (Kilmallock); M Fitzgibbon (Cappamore), D Langan (Monaleen), D Fitzgerald (Kildimo Pallaskenry); V Harrington (Na Piarsaigh), S Casey (Bruff), C Scully (Dromin Athlacca); J Fitzgerald (Monaleen), M Fitzgerald (Monaleen); H Flanagan (Garryspillane), C Hayes (Newcastle West), R O’Farrell (Kildimo Pallaskenry); F Fitzgerald (Mungret St Paul’s), S O’Brien (Kilmallock), O O’Farrell (Askeaton/Kilcornan Desmonds).
Subs: W Dore (Dromin Athlacca) for M Fitzgibbon (HT); D Ferland (Monaleen) for O’Farrell (45); J Fitzgibbon (Dromin Athlacca) for M Fitzgerald (53); T Boddy (Bruff) for Hayes (54); B Adams (Ballybrown) for J Fitzgerald (56).

Referee: A Tierney (Tipperary).

Live Streaming via Spórt TG4 YouTube

Team Sheet

Ticket Information

General Admission: €10
Students/OAPs: €5
Under 16’s: Free

Tickets are available from participating Centra and Supervalu outlets or online via the link below.

Click here to buy tickets

Team News

CORK (v Limerick): P O’Sullivan (Fr. O’Neill’s); D Cashman (Bride Rovers), K Lyons (Ballygarvan), D O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig); J Dwyer (Ballincollig), Ó O’Regan (Erins Own), C Tobin (Bride Rovers); M Finn (Midleton), Ben Walsh (Killeagh); D Healy (Lisgoold), T O’Connell (Ballincollig), W Buckley (St Finbarr’s); D Cremin (Midleton), E O’Leary (Glen Rovers), J Leahy (Dungourney).

Limerick U20 Hurling team Announced:l
Evan Loftus and his management team has released their Limerick U20 Hurling team and match panel that will take on Cork in Rd 3 of the https://t.co/ehgvIF8WkS Munster U20 Hurling Championship at 7pm this Friday in SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh pic.twitter.com/jdVknW22rN

— Limerick GAA (@LimerickCLG) April 24, 2024