Cork 0-19

Limerick 2-7

Stephen Barry reports from Mallow

CORK COMPLETED THEIR pre-season with a perfect record and a trophy with a six-point victory over Limerick granting them their first McGrath Cup since 2018.

It wasn’t their greatest performance of the lot after big victories over Kerry and Clare but they travel into the National League with confidence after captain Brian Hurley and Steven Sherlock shot seven points each.

After an eight-minute delay for crowd congestion between match traffic, bingo, and a quiz night for 500 kids at a busy Mallow GAA complex, Cork produced their best football in the opening minutes.

Limerick were giving up all sorts of frees early on, picking the ball straight off the ground (twice) and overcarrying the ball cost them three points, with Cork punishing them on the counter or through Sherlock’s boot. Their other points came from Brian O’Driscoll, Chris Óg Jones, and Hurley as the Rebels took an early 0-5 to nil lead.

A Cian Sheehan free had Limerick on the board after 18 minutes but Hurley cancelled that out from a mark at the other end.

Turnovers from the likes of Seán Powter, Matty Taylor, and Colm O’Callaghan were stopping Limerick’s attack at source but as Ray Dempsey’s side switched to slower build-up play and shorter kick-outs, they gained a foothold.

The big moment came in the 25th minute when Jack Ryan was fouled for a penalty by O’Driscoll as he chased Iain Corbett’s speculative pass across goal. Captain Corbett stepped up to send the ball past Mícheál Aodh Martin and when he added a trademark outside-of-the-boot point from the 45, the gap was back to one; 0-6 to 1-2.

They only added another point apiece from there to the break, a Sherlock free nullified by Cillian Fahy’s fisted point.

John Cleary made two full-back line changes at the break, Tommy Walsh and Seán Meehan in for Thomas Clancy and Daniel O’Mahony, but more significantly, Powter was moved up to centre-forward. His impact was felt immediately, involved in setting up two Hurley points.

After a Sheehan free, Sherlock kicked four in a row for Cork followed by Hurley’s fifth.

Then, came the Limerick response. Sheehan struck his third free followed by a Davy Lyons goal in the 55th minute; the Adare attacker finding the net at the third attempt after his first two shots were blocked by Hurley, back on his own goal line, and Luke Fahy.

Jones missed wide with a goal chance to finish the game but still, there was to be no comeback, with Limerick counting the cost of their 12 wides.

Cork scored five of the final seven points, two from substitute John O’Rourke and Ruairí Deane setting up two more for Hurley, while O’Callaghan added a monster point.

Meanwhile in the Sigerson Cup, DCU stormed to victory over Queens in a Round 2A clash. Galway’s Rob Finnerty grabbed helped himself to 2-3 as DCU came away with a 3-14 to 0-5 win.

Scorers for Cork: Brian Hurley 0-7 (1f, 1m), Steven Sherlock 0-7 (7f), John O’Rourke 0-2, Colm O’Callaghan 0-1, Brian O’Driscoll 0-1, Chris Óg Jones 0-1.

Scorers for Limerick: Iain Corbett 1-1 (1-0 pen), Cian Sheehan 0-4 (4f), Davy Lyons 1-0, Cillian Fahy 0-1, Robbie Bourke 0-1.

Cork

1. Mícheál Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers)

18. Thomas Clancy (Clonakilty), 3. Daniel O’Mahony (Knocknagree), 4. Kevin O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers)

5. Luke Fahy (Ballincollig), 11. Seán Powter (Douglas), 7. Matty Taylor (Mallow)

8. Colm O’Callaghan (Éire Óg), 6. Rory Maguire (Castlehaven),

10. Eoghan McSweeney (Knocknagree), 22. Killian O’Hanlon (Kilshannig), 12. Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh)

13. Chris Óg Jones (Iveleary), 14. Brian Hurley (Castlehaven, capt), 15. Steven Sherlock (St Finbarr’s)

Subs

20. Cian Kiely (Ballincollig) for Fahy (30-h-t, blood)

17. Tommy Walsh (Kanturk) for O’Mahony (h-t)

19. Seán Meehan (Kiskeam) for Clancy (h-t)

23. John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers) for McSweeney (52)

25. Ruairí Deane (Bantry Blues) for O’Hanlon (62)

20. Kiely for Fahy (67)

26. Mark Cronin (Nemo Rangers) for Sherlock (70+1)

9. Paul Walsh (Kanturk) for Powter (70+1)

21. Shane Merritt (Mallow) for Maguire (70+3)

Limerick

1. Donal O’Sullivan (Monaleen)

2. David Connolly (Adare), 20. Davy Lyons (Adare), 4. Barry Coleman (Rathkeale)

5. Brian Fanning (Pallasgreen), 6. Iain Corbett (Newcastle West, capt), 7. Jack Ryan (Dromcollogher-Broadford)

8. Michael Donovan (Galbally), 9. Cillian Fahy (Dromcollogher-Broadford)

10. Gordon Brown (Na Piarsaigh), 11. Cian Sheehan (Newcastle West), 12. Paul Maher (Adare)

13. Adrian Enright (Fr Casey’s), 14. Cathal Downes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), 24. James Naughton (St Senan’s)

Subs

17. Robbie Bourke (Adare) for Ryan (51)

23. Peter Nash (Kildimo-Pallaskenry) for Brown (67)

26. Killian Ryan (Mungret St Paul’s) for Lyons (67)

15. Colm McSweeney (Gerald Griffins) for Coleman (70+1)

Referee: Brian Fleming (Kerry)

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