TREATY TRIUMPH TO TAKE TITLE AT CORK’S EXPENSE
IT WASN’T pretty but Limerick won’t mind as they were crowned Bord Gáis Energy Munster U-21 champions last night. The Shannonsiders had blitzed their way to the final, scoring 11 and 13point victories over Tipperary and Clare, but had to work hard for this. Limerick’s eighth title puts them through to an AllIreland semi-final with Galway on August 20, as Cork switch attentions back to the other three grades in which they’ve emerged as provincial winners. In front of a massive 11,774 crowd, a strong start paved the way for this Limerick win but referee Rory McGann drew Cork ire having registered a onesided free count. Cork were awarded just one free in the first half, and three in the second, as Limerick’s count was up around the 20 mark. Limerick led 0-11 to 1-4 at half-time, having played with the breeze. They had their first point after 52 seconds, Ronan Lynch nailing a long-range free, and led 0-7 to 0-0 within 14 minutes. Cork finally got off the mark in the 16th minute through Shane Kingston, which settled the Rebels. Indeed, following that blistering Limerick opening, Cork would win the remainder of the half by 1-4 to 0-4, giving themselves something to cling to with the wind advantage to come. The goal, in the 26th minute, was a real tonic, and finished by Tim O’Mahony, following fine work from Mark Coleman and Paul Leopold. O’Mahony managed to squeeze a one-handed strike inside Eoghan McNamara’s near post, to cut the Cork deficit to three points – 1-3 to 0-9. Limerick responded, however, with points from Peter Casey and Tom Morrissey but Michael O’Halloran lofted over a point to leave the Rebels in touch. Cork continued to plug away, but were undone by some poor shooting. Limerick went 18 minutes without a score, which allowed Cork to close the gap to just two points. An Aaron Gillane free
stopped the Limerick rot and another pushed the gap back out to four. Cork weren’t done as Coleman landed a free, before Kingston flashed over a point in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but Limerickheld firm.
LIMERICK: E McNamara; S Finn, D Fanning, D Joy; R Lynch, K Hayes, T Grimes; C Ryan, R Hanley (L Lyons 60+2); A Gillane, M Mackey (C Boylan 47), C Lynch; B Nash, P Casey (P Ahern 43), T Morrissey (B Murphy 56).
Scorers: A Gillane 0-6f, R Lynch (2f), T Grimes, P Casey, B Nash 0-2 each, M Mackey, T Morrissey 0-1 each.
CORK: P Collins; D Griffin, E Murphy, J Cashman (C Cahalane 60+2); S O’Donoghue, M Coleman, D Browne; D Lowney (D O’Neill 56), P Leopold; C O’Leary (J O’Connor 40), M O’Halloran, S Kingston; D Dalton, R O’Flynn, T O’Mahony (J Looney 57).
Scorers: T O’Mahony 1-1, S Kingston 03, M Coleman (2f), M O’Halloran, D Dalton (2f) 0-2 each, R O’Flynn 0-1.
Yellow card: D Dalton 31, T O’Mahony 55. Referee: R McGann (Clare)