NHL Division 1A: Limerick 3-19 Cork 0-20
In Hollywood, there is a long history of movie sequels that flop; in the GAA, it is the prequels that are bound to be turkeys. These teams will meet again in the Munster championship in seven weeks’ time, and before that are more than likely to meet in the league final, all of which reduced this match to something frothy and non-alcoholic: no buzz and no hangover.
Limerick’s record against Cork in consequential matches over the last two years has been their Achilles heel, and there was nothing they could do about that on a crisp, still evening in early spring. But just like in Semple Stadium a couple of weeks ago, they clearly wanted to say something out loud, even if they were partly talking to themselves.
At this time of the year, team selections are often a game of rock-paper-scissors. Limerick picked a team that would be plausible in any month of the season; Cork went with a line-up that would only be credible before the clocks go forward.
Eventually, that told. Cork drew level for the last time eight minutes into the second half but were outscored 2-7 to 0-2 in the next 20 minutes, and a game that had been surprisingly competitive and even narky, dropped suddenly in temperature.
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Ben O’Connor has said a few times that his aim was to win every game, but he didn’t deviate from his selection patterns to go baldheaded for a win here. Cork made nine changes for the Kilkenny game and made eight for this one. Their overriding agenda on Saturday night was to audition squad players and others who once upon a time were starters. Limerick were happy to facilitate that vetting process.
One of the bright spots for Cork was Barry Walsh, who is still an under-20 player. He built on his promising debut against Kilkenny with another exhibition of his talent, taking Kyle Hayes for a couple of points in the first half and making the Limerick wing back run towards his own goal more than he would like.
After years of being in and out, Tommy O’Connell added more substance to his case to be a starter with another feisty performance in Cork’s centrefield. Others from this Cork line-up, though, will return to the fringes.
On the night, Cork had a problem with indiscipline. By the end they had committed 19 frees to Limerick’s 12 and picked up six yellow cards to Limerick’s three. Afterwards John Kiely was asked about two offences that might have ended up in black cards for Cork players; neither of them did.
One of them, though, resulted in a penalty that Aidan O’Connor buried midway through the second half. O’Connor also converted seven frees as well as landing four points from play in another bravura performance at centre forward.
Kiely spoke afterwards about “younger players breaking through” and it is clear that there is a changing of the guard for Limerick in that area of the field. Tom Morrissey came on for Gearóid Hegarty in the second half, and it was the fourth game in a row that one of them had replaced the other.
In their careers, Morrissey and Hegarty have started a staggering 51 championship matches together in the Limerick half-forward but it looks like they are fighting for one spot now.
In front of a huge home crowd of 18,744 Limerick were strangely flat in the first half. Shane O’Brien scored a terrific goal after 80 seconds in Limerick’s first attack, but they didn’t score again for 10 minutes and didn’t recover the lead until five minutes before the break.
In the beginning, Cork were really bright around the middle third and Brian Hayes was dangerous whenever the ball went inside. They responded to Limerick’s goal with a couple of quick points and kept their noses in front for most of the first half. But having created 10 goalscoring chances in Nowlan Park last week, they probably only mustered two here, a deficiency that Ben O’Connor acknowledged afterwards.
Nickie Quaid snuffed out Cork’s two goalscoring attempts on a hugely significant evening for him. His 171st competitive appearance took him to the top of the all-time list for a Limerick player, one ahead of his late father Tommy, breaking a record that had stood for more than 30 years.
“Nobody deserves it more than Nickie,” said Kiely. “I know he’ll spend about two seconds thinking about it because that’s the way Nickie is. It’s a lovely piece for him to have. He’s earned it, I can tell you that.”
Limerick led by 1-9 to 0-11 at the break and played with more fluency in the second half. Their interplay was slicker, and they created more running channels through the Cork defence.
Eventually the dam burst. Cathal O’Neill scored Limerick’s second goal after Tim O’Mahony was turned over and a few minutes later O’Connor rammed home a penalty after Aaron Gillane was fouled close to goal. That put Limerick 3-16 to 0-15 in front with eight minutes left and there was nothing more to be done.
LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Finn, M Casey, B Nash; D Byrnes, W O’Donoghue, K Hayes; A English (0-2), C Lynch (0-1); G Hegarty, A O’Connor (1-11, 1-0 pen, 7f), C O’Neill (1-2); A Gillane (0-1), S O’Brien (1-0), D Reidy.
Subs: T Morrissey (0-1) for Hegarty 50 mins; H Flanagan (0-1) for Reidy (58); D Langan for Finn (60); D Ó Dálaigh for O’Brien (65); O O’Farrell for Gillane (66).
CORK: P Collins; E Roche, D O’Leary, G Millerick; M Mullins, E Downey (0-1), D Cahalane; T O’Connell (0-3), C Joyce; B Walsh (0-2), T O’Mahony (0-7, 6f, 1 65), S Kingston (0-1); A Walsh (0-1), B Hayes (0-3), S Barrett (0-2).
Subs: S Harnedy for Kingston (40 mins); N O’Leary for Roche (47); D Fitzgibbon for Mullins (54); S O’Donoghue for D O’Leary (60); D Dalton for Walsh (65).
Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).
