Match Report By John Redington
Cork 0-16 Limerick 0-6:
The advantages of being able to play members of a minor team that has yet to make its championship debut were evident in the Gaelic Grounds last evening, when Cork easily defeated Limerick before a crowd of 468 in the opening round of the Munster U17 hurling championship.
Lining out with a marked physical advantage down the middle, the winners dominated possession throughout, but made heavy weather of it, despite having the breeze at their backs during the first half.
Shortly after half-time, Limerick picked up a red card and any hopes of a recovery died as their occasional clearances were soaked up by the extra Rebel defender.
Without having to break a sweat, the winners could shrug off five missed goal chances and 17 wides as man-of-the-match Tommy O’Connell struck five times from play to add to the five frees and one from play sent over by top scorer Colin O’Brien.
Cork were denied an instant goal by Seán Long’s goal-line clearance off Brian Roche and had to settle for Joe Stack’s point. They missed another after Declan Hanlon and Tommy O’Connell extended their lead when Louis Dee saved Stack’s effort.
Progress resumed after a string of wides, through Colin O’Brien’s free, Hanlon, another O’Brien free, and O’Connell widening the gap, before Josh Considine’s monster free got Limerick off the mark.
Seanie O’Connor sent over another from closer in to bring the score to 0-7 to 0-2, a poor reflection on Cork’s first-half dominance as they shot 10 wides and had three goal chances saved.
The host were down a man seconds after the restart, when Seanie O’Leary was sent off for a heavy challenge and O’Brien converted the free. The wild pulls continued, as Limerick picked up one yellow card, with two for Cork, before O’Connell, O’Brien, and Hanlon exploited the numerical advantage for the Rebels.
After Roche shot wide off a game-killing chance, O’Brien’s free was met by O’Connor, before Mark McCarthy bagged Limerick’s only score from play.
O’Connell replied with a pair of points either side of O’Connor’s free. O’Brien added another free after Kian Farmer skimmed the wrong side of the upright. Going into added time, O’Connor hit back with a free before Farmer finished the scoring.
Scorers for Cork:
C O’Brien 0-6 (5f), T O’Connell 0-5, D Hanlon 0-3, J Stack, K Farmer 0-1 each; Scorers for Limerick: S O’Connor 0-4 (4f), J Considine (f), M McCarthy 0-1 each.
CORK:
L Donovan; E Roche, C Nyhan, R Sheehan; D Connery, C O’Callaghan, J Hallahan; L Ryan, S Twomey; D Hanlon, C O’Brien, T O’Connell; O McCarthy, J Stack, B Roche.
Subs:
K Murphy for J Stack (46), K Farmer for O McCarthy (55), K Finn for T O’Connell (59), S McCarthy for S Twomey (60), R McCarthy for J Hallahan (63).
LIMERICK:
L Dee; L Griffin, D Mulqueen, P Power; S Long, P O’Connor, J Considine; S O’Connor, L Barry; S O’Leary, S Barry, J O’Brien; C Sheehan, F Costello, M McCarthy.
Subs:
M Hayes for P Power (33), C Berkery for J O’Brien (38), A Carrigg for S Long (41), K O’Dowd for L Barry (inj 49), J Daly for S Barry (54), D Owens for C Sheehan (56).
Referee:
K Jordan (Tipperary).
