The key areas where Cork must clean up house before facing Limerick again
IT FEELS LIKE there is more than just a first Munster title in seven years at stake for the Cork hurlers.
A second pop at Limerick signals a chance at redemption. It’s an opportunity to remind the wider hurling community that they are still All-Ireland finalists and that their credentials for 2025 have not withered away. A chance to wipe out the damage of that 16-point defeat two weeks ago.
Manager Pat Ryan alluded to it when he spoke to the media after the Waterford game, as he emphasised the importance of “representing the jersey” and carrying the Cork emblem with distinction.
In order to do that against Limerick, they must tidy up a few areas.
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Address injury concerns
Cork have some important injury concerns to sort through before the ball is thrown in on 7 June.
They were without Rob Downey, Niall O’Leary and Declan Dalton for the Waterford game, and they may also be forced to put defender Ger Millerick on the treatment table too. He suffered a suspected dislocated finger against Waterford which requires a scan.
As well as being an experienced defender, Millerick also created the move which resulted in Patrick Horgan’s goal. He delivered a brilliant pass over his shoulder which broke kindly for Hayes to pop the ball out to Horgan for the final swing. Immediately after that, Millerick carried the ball down the wing before laying off to Hayes for a point.
Cork have a second goal and it's Patrick Horgan who drives it into the net to extend the lead over Waterford
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Dalton had featured in all three of Cork’s Munster games, and started against Tipperary (1-6) and Limerick before limping off in the first half. Shane Barrett, Darragh Fitzgibbon and Séamus Harnedy combined for eight points against Waterford, but Dalton would be a huge loss to the half-forward line if he is unfit to play.
Pat Ryan was already down a corner-back before Millerick’s withdrawal against Waterford, and he will need a strong batch of defenders to marshal Aaron Gillane, Shane O’Brien and David Reidy. That trio combined for 2-9 in their last meeting, with Gillane hitting 2-7. Damien Cahalane replaced Millerick against Waterford and he may be needed again for Cork’s second trip to the Gaelic Grounds.
Rob Downey started against Limerick but was taken off at half-time. Ryan has since admitted that they “probably shouldn’t have played Rob” in that game, but were reluctant to omit him from selection as he is their captain. Cormac O’Brien, who replaced Downey in the Limerick game, made his first championship start against Waterford and scored a point before coming off in the final moments.
Improve Accuracy
Cork were clinical enough to get the better of Waterford but were wasteful in front of goal too. They had 17 wides before close of business in Páirc Uí Chaoimh while also dropping three efforts into Billy Nolan’s hand. That return in front of goal will not go unpunished against a Limerick side who have a scoring a difference of 17 which is by far the highest in the Munster championship table.
Against Waterford, some of Cork’s more reliable shooters were off target at times, including Darragh Fitzgibbon and Séamus Harnedy who both missed chances in the opening 10 minutes as Waterford built up a 0-4 0-1 lead. The wind factor, however, was significant. And even when they were playing against it in the first half, they still held a 0-13 0-12 lead at half-time.
Cork scored two goals but could have had more. Shortly after Hayes tapped the ball in, Shane Barrett launched a shot that fizzed past the Waterford goal from roughly the same position. Some of the other wides that followed their second goal were scores that could have killed off any chance at a late Waterford fightback.
In the first half against Limerick, Horgan missed a crucial goal chance when Cork were trailing 1-10 to 0-5 after another one of those pop passes from Hayes. His effort was batted back into play by Nickie Quaid, and a counter offensive ended with Gearóid Hegarty splitting the posts. What should have been a five-point game ended up being a nine-point gap.
If Cork don’t rinse out that inefficiency, Limerick will crush them at the other end.
Win the midfield battle
Red circles will go around the names Cian Lynch, Adam English, Will O’Donoghue and Kyle Hayes, particularly if Cork are intent on bringing their half-back line so far forward again. Their structure left a lot of space open against Limerick, which Tom Morrissey exploited to score five points with ease.
English scored 1-2 in that game and has 2-8 in total from the round-robin, while Lynch has five points so far. The pair linked up for English’s first-half goal against Cork and their attacking instincts are assisted by O’Donoghue’s ability to sit back and hold the middle.
Adam English with a 2⃣nd Goal for @LimerickCLG in a dominant 1st Half against @OfficialCorkGAA in the @MunsterGAA Hurling Championship 🏆 #LIMVCOR pic.twitter.com/AZmLvQ9Glc
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Hayes, Lynch and English all played vital roles in creating Limerick’s second goal against Cork. It came from a Cork puckout, as Hayes reached in with his stick and flicked the ball forward to Lynch. He cut back into the middle, and flicked the ball beautifully into the path of English who was running through into open space before sniping the ball into the corner.
Lynch’s point which came directly after English’s goal came from another Hayes intervention, who has been lording the centre-back position throughout the championship.
Protect lead
Against both Clare and Waterford, Cork built up leads which they let slip. The Rebels were 12 points up at half-time against the Banner and needed a late Declan Dalton free to rescue a draw. Shane Barrett’s red card in the 57th minute can’t be discounted when reviewing that result as well as the first-round adrenaline which helped bring Clare back into the contest. But the concession of three goals in the second half cannot be ignored either.
Cork went eight points clear after Horgan provided their second goal against Waterford, but were pulled back to three.
They eventually won by six but there were other slips that they were fortunate not to pay a high price for. Mark Coleman, who had an otherwise solid day out, almost conceded an own goal while trying to catch a long free in. The sliotar popped out of his hand and only the width of the crossbar spared him at a time when Cork were 2-18 to 0-16 ahead.
Even the goal that Waterford did score was arguably preventable. Goalkeeper Patrick Collins looked disappointed after Stephen Bennett’s shot bounced past him into the net. Their seven-point lead was suddenly down to four. Bennett broke through again in the next play only to be denied by the butt of the post. Jamie Barron also had an attempt at goal which he missed.
Should they get in front against Limerick, they will need a tighter defensive shape to stay ahead.
Reduce Limerick’s goal-count
This relates to the point above. Limerick smashed three goals past Cork in the previous meeting and have raised five green flags in all during this round-robin series. But it’s the timing of Limerick’s goals against Cork that requires examination, with the first one coming in just the second minute.
A Cian Lynch delivery found Aaron Gillane in the corner. His marker Niall O’Leary was too far off in the race for possession and slipped as Gillane cut a path along the inside. Ciarán Joyce tried to race across and cut out the danger, but was side-stepped too easily.
Aaron Gillane produces this majestic goal for Limerick as they make a blistering start
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The third goal just after the hour mark was arguably the most cruel blow. Horgan’s penalty moments earlier gave Cork a lifeline as they trailed 2-23 to 1-16. But a dangerous ball landed on top of Gillane and Eoin Downey at the edge of the square. Downey was ruled to be fouling and Gillane converted the penalty to quench the Cork rebellion.
There were other nervy moments when the Cork backs looked brittle. Shane O’Brien created a goal chance for Tom Morrissey which was blocked on the line by Coleman while Barry Nash also broke through the full-back line only to be snuffed out before he could strike.
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