Cork land Munster title with dramatic penalty shootout victory over Limerick

by · The42

Fintan O'Toole Reports from TUS Gaelic Grounds

Cork 1-30

Limerick 2-27

(Cork win 3-2 on penalties after extra-time)

CORK HAVE DETHRONED Limerick, and are Munster senior hurling champions for the first time since 2018 after an evening of drama at the Gaelic Grounds.

A penalty shootout was required, where the Rebels won 3-2 and Limerick’s seven in-a-row bid came crashing down.

Limerick converted their first two penalties into the Clare End with Diarmaid Byrnes and Aaron Gillane netting, but Barry Murphy and Declan Hannon fired shots wide, while Tom Morrissey’s strike was saved by Cork netminder Patrick Collins.

Darragh Fitzgibbon saw his opening penalty saved by Nickie Quaid, but after that Cork’s strikes were clinical as Conor Lehane, Shane Kingston, and Alan Connolly all netted.

The Cork team celebrate in the dressing room after the game. James Crombie / INPHOJames Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Limerick's Declan Hannon dejected after missing a penalty. Laszlo Geczo / INPHOLaszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

The shootout stemmed from a sensational finale with Darragh Fitzgibbon’s 93rd minute ’65 bringing the teams level as he rescued Cork, after Aaron Gillane’s free in the 91st minute placed Limerick on the cusp of victory.

Extra-time was the outcome after a tight and tense second half. Once Shane O’Brien despatched Limerick’s second goal to tie the match, 2-13 to 1-16, after 47 minutes, a pattern was established. That was the first of seven times the teams were level before the last whistle was blown in normal time.

Darragh O’Donovan nudged Limerick ahead with a 69th-minute point, Patrick Horgan clipped a levelling score two minutes later after Brian Hayes dived to flick a loose ball in his direction, and then a series of potential match-winning scenarios arose.

Gillane’s free from a tight angle flew across the goal, Ciaran Joyce floated in a shot that tailed wide, and then in the last act Darragh O’Donovan got free but underhit his shot.

It stood 2-19 to 1-22 at that stage, and they were still deadlocked 2-22 to 1-25 at the halfway point of extra-time. Hannon prompted a huge cheer with an early point for Limerick after being sprung from the bench, while Gillane nailed a pair of frees.  Fitzgibbon banged over a placed ball for Cork, while substitutes Kingston and Conor injected energy to their challenge by contributing tidy points.

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Limerick’s Aidan O'Connor celebrates scoring a goal with Aaron Gillane. Laszlo Geczo / INPHOLaszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

From the start the game followed a different pattern to the rout at this venue three weeks ago. Then Limerick utterly dominated from the start, here Cork were in a sharp mood instantly.

They reeled off the opening three points of the game, Patrick Horgan with the first after just eighteen seconds, and were four clear at the break, 1-14 to 1-10.

Cork’s advantage could have been greater midway through, they amassed nine first-half wides, Nickie Quaid caught two strikes under his crossbar, and there were a few other occasions when they came close to finding the net.

Quaid was equal to a Hayes drive at one stage, but the St Finbarr’s man helped make amends in the 26th minute when he transferred the ball out of a ruck and Shane Barrett sent a low ground shot whistling to the corner of the net.

That helped cancel out Limerick’s goal in the 20th minute. Aidan O’Connor marked his first senior championship start by turning Eoin Downey after Cian Lynch played the creator role with the pass, and the Ballybrown forward bundled in his shot from a tight angle. Patrick Collins kept the goal concession count down as he denied Gearóid Hegarty and Adam English in separate instances.

Tom Morrissey sparkled early for Limerick with two points, David Reidy finished the first half with three. Cork’s half-forward line was on song with Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, and Seamus Harnedy firing 1-7 between them in that period.

Limerick started the second half brightly, O’Brien’s goal providing them with real impetus. But Cork remained in the hunt in a determined fashion and their persistence was rewarded after a marathon encounter.

Cork’s Patrick Horgan and Mike Casey of Limerick James Crombie / INPHOJames Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane 0-9 (0-7f), Shane O’Brien 1-2, Aidan O’Connor 1-1, David Reidy 0-3, Adam English 0-3, Gearoid Hegarty 0-2, Tom Morrissey 0-2, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-1 (0-1f), Declan Hannon 0-1, Darragh O’Donovan 0-1, Peter Casey 0-1, Cathal O’Neill 0-1.

Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-7 (0-4f), Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-4 (0-1f, 0-1 ‘65), Shane Barrett 1-3, Shane Kingston 0-3, Diarmuid Healy 0-3, Séamus Harnedy 0-2, Conor Lehane 0-2, Damien Cahalane 0-1, Eoin Downey 0-1, Tim O’Mahony 0-1, Alan Connolly 0-1, Brian Hayes 0-1, Tommy O’Connell 0-1.

Limerick

1. Nickie Quaid (Effin)

4. Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), 3. Dan Morrissey (Ahane), 2. Sean Finn (Bruff)

5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), 6. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), 7. Barry Nash (South Liberties)

8. Adam English (Doon), 9. William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh)

10. Gearóid Hegarty (St Patrick’s), 11. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell – captain), 12. Tom Morrissey (Ahane)

13. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), 14. Aidan O’Connor (Ballybrown), 15. David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca)

Subs

  • 22. Shane O’Brien (Kilmallock) for O’Connor (42)
  • 17. Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh) for Reidy (55)
  • 26. Cathal O’Neill (Crecora-Manister) for Tom Morrissey (55)
  • 24. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon) for O’Donoghue (65)
  • 20. Declan Hannon (Adare) for Byrnes (start of extra-time)
  • 21. Barry Murphy (Doon) for Mike Casey (start of extra-time)
  • 12. Tom Morrissey for Hegarty (77)
  • 19. Séamus Flanagan (Feohanagh-Castlemahon) for Lynch (temporary) (90)
  • 11. Lynch for Flanagan (91)
  • 5. Diarmaid Byrnes for Lynch (92)

Cork

1. Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig)

2. Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), 3. Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), 4. Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra)

5. Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum) 6. Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), 7. Mark Coleman (Blarney)

8. Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), 9. Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville)

10. Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold), 11. Shane Barrett (Blarney), 12. Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s)

13. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), 14. Alan Connolly (Blackrock), 15. Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s)

Subs

  • 18. Robert Downey (Glen Rovers) for O’Brien (53)
  • 19. Tommy O’Connell (Midleton) for O’Mahony (59)
  • 23. Shane Kingston (Douglas) for Connolly (65)
  • 25. Robbie O’Flynn (Erins Own) for Harnedy (68)
  • 22. Conor Lehane (Midleton) for Horgan (72)
  • 17. Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons) for O’Donoghue (73)
  • 26. Brian Roche (Bride Rovers) for Healy (80)
  • 14. Alan Connolly for Coleman (inj) (84)

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)