Cork make hay in Canning absence

FITZGIBBON CUP SEMI-FINALS/Cork IT0-17 Limerick IT 1-9:CORK IT recorded a comfortable win over a Limerick side which badly missed injured Galway star Joe Canning in a disappointing semi-final at the Mardyke yesterday.

The Cork side led by 0-10 to 0-7 at half-time after full forward Paudie O’Sullivan gave them an encouraging start by scoring a super point from a sideline cut in the opening minute.

Corner forwards Tommy Quaid and Kilkenny’s Colin Fennelly kept the scoreboard ticking along as Limerick IT relied too heavily on Eoin Ryan for their scores.

Goal chances were at a premium in the half, Cork IT midfielder Jamie Coughlan going closest with a terrific run through the middle only for his shot to go narrowly wide.

The standard dropped appreciably in the third quarter as Limerick IT could make little headway against the Stephen McDonnell-inspired defence in which captain Lorcan McLoughlin was a solid figure at centre back.

After Ryan converted a 36th- minute free, Limerick had to wait another 23 minutes for their next score and Ryan’s injury-time goal was only a consolation, coming too late to effect the outcome.

Before that goalkeeper Andrew Fahy ventured forward to take a close-range free 10 minutes from the end, but the defence stopped his effort on the line and cleared the ball to safety.

Cork IT introduced county footballer Aidan Walsh after 40 minutes and he made an instant impression, supplying more ball inside for the likes of O’Sullivan, Fennelly, Pádraig Gould and John Cronin, who helped their side pull further in front before the inevitable conclusion.

CORK IT: K Roche; B Withers, S McDonnell, S Daniels; S White, L McLoughlin (capt), P O’Connor; J Coughlan, M O’Sullivan (0-1); J Cronin (0-2), D Drake, P Gould (0-3); C Fennelly (0-2), P O’Sullivan (0-4, sideline, free), T Quaid (0-5, frees). Subs: E Keane for Daniels, A Walsh for Drake (both 40 mins), N Kelly for O’Sullivan (56 mins), D Lordan for Quaid (59 mins).

LIMERICK IT: A Fahy; E Glynn, R McCarthy, B Glynn; J Hayes, J O’Keeffe, P O’Brien (0-1); P Browne (0-1), S Lambert; C Madden, C McInerney, E Ryan (1-5, 0-4 frees); S O’Brien, C O’Connell, R Horan (0-2). Subs: C Nelson for Glynn (41 mins), M Duggan for Horan (55 mins).

Referee: A Kelly (Galway).