Cork 2-17

Limerick 0-22

John Coleman reports from Pairc Uí Chaoimh

Shane Kingston was the hero for Cork as 19,516 souls witnessed a thriller in Pairc Uí Chaoimh with the Rebels coming from eight points down at half time to pip Limerick at the post in the opening round in Division 1A of the Allianz NHL.

Patrick Horgan was Cork’s top scorer with 0-10 and he started the fightback with a point just after the interval before Declan Dalton fed Robbie O’Flynn who buried the ball past David McCarthy to re-ignite the contest.

Horgan pointed twice more after David Reidy had pushed Limerick further clear again before clever play from O’Flynn set up Dalton for Cork’s second major. That brought the sides level for the first time, and by the time the clock hit seventy minutes, Limerick’s Ciaran Barry had levelled proceedings for the third time.

There then followed ten minutes of injury time following a severe injury to Cork’s O’Flynn and initially it looked like Limerick would pull through as Reidy and Donnacha Ó Dalaigh pushed them two clear. Cork weren’t to be denied though, as points from Horgan, Conor Lehane and Kingston earned them the two points.

In last year’s National League the All-Ireland champions were only a pale shadow of themselves, but this year it’s clear that they are going to be a different prospect. The opening period was relatively even for long stages, with Limerick proving to be far more clinical than the Leesiders. Cork took twenty-one shots at the target in that period, Limerick took twenty and yet went into the break leading by double scores, 0-16 to 0-8.

Although understandably rusty, the Treaty men moved the ball beautifully at times with Declan Hannon imperious. Gearóid Hegarty had three points on the board inside the first twenty minutes while four frees from Reidy and points from Cathal Coughlan, Darragh O’Donovan and Tom Morrissey left Limerick on top as Cork, inevitably, were reliant on Horgan and four points from him along with solo scores from O’Flynn, Brian Roche, Luke Meade and the impressive Eoin Downey left Cork trailing by 10-08 with thirty minutes played.

As they do, Limerick then pushed on, hitting six in-a-row from there to the break, punishing Cork for their loose play and naivety. Reidy, Coughlan, Hannon, Brian Murphy, Séamus Flanagan and Adam English all filled their boots to leave their side in total control at the interval.

Cork then emerged transformed as they did enough to turn a likely defeat into a famous victory.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan (0-10, 5 frees, 1 ’65), R O’Flynn (1-1), D Dalton (1-0), E Downey, C Joyce, L Meade, B Roche, C Lehane, and S Kingston (0-1 each)

Scorers for Limerick: D Reidy (0-8, 7 frees, 1 ’65), G Hegarty (0-3), C Coughlan and A English (0-2 each), D Hannon, D O’Donovan, B Murphy, T Morrissey, S Flanagan, C Barry and D Ó Dálaigh (0-1 each)

Cork

1. Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)

2. Conor O Callaghan (Dromtarriffe), 3. Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), 4. Sean O Donoghue (Inniscarra)

5. Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), 6. Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), 7. Damien Cahalane (St Finbarrs)

8. Brian O’Sullivan (Kanturk), 9. Luke Meade (Newcestown)

10. Brian Roche (Bride Rovers), 11. Conor Lehane (Midleton), 12. Cormac Beausang (Midleton)

13. Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neill’s), 14. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), 15. Robbie O’ Flynn (Erin’s Own)

Subs
17. Niall O’ Leary (Castlelyons) for O’Donoghue (29, inj)
22. Conor Cahalane (St Finbarr’s) for O’Flynn (inj, 61)
24. Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s) for Dalton (55)
25. Shane Barrett (Blarney) for O’Sullivan (43)
26. Shane Kingston (Douglas) for Beausang (39)

Limerick

1. David McCarthy (Glenroe)

2. Sean Finn (Bruff), 4. Richie English (Doon), 19. Aaron Costello (Kilmallock)

3. Dan Morrissey (Ahane), 6. Declan Hannon (Adare),7. Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown)

8. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon), 9. Barry Murphy (Doon)
10.Gearoid Hegarty (St. Patrick’s), 11. David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca), 12. Tom Morrissey (Ahane)

13. Adam English (Doon), 14. Seamus Flanagan (Feoghanagh-Castlemahon), 15. Oisin O’Reilly (Kilmallock)

Subs
17.Ciaran Barry (Ahane) for Hannon (48)
21. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell) for Hegarty (57)
22. Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock) for Reidy (blood, 47 – 49), for English (55)
23. Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock) for O’Reilly (49)
25. Donnacha Ó Dálaigh (Monaleen) for Flanagan (68)
5. Fergal O’Connor (Effin) for Costello (blood, 3rd to 6th)

Referee: Fergal Horgan (Tipperary)

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