Rebels held by 14-man Limerick in Páirc thriller
CORK drew for the second week in a row as Kyle Hayes scored an equaliser for 14-man Limerick in the 74th minute at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last night.
Patrick Horgan looked to have earned the home side the win when he brought his tally to 1-11, answering Diarmaid Byrnes’ long-range free which ended seven Limerick minutes without a score as the Rebels had surged ahead.
However, when Hayes won a loose clearance, he sent the ball between the uprights to ensure that both teams remain unbeaten.
An early Limerick three-point burst, with scores from Cian Lynch, Graeme Mulcahy and Séamus Flanagan, came after Conor Lehane opened the scoring with a superb point for Cork in the first minute.
In double-quick time, Cork were level as Daniel Kearney linked well with Mark Coleman and Séamus Harnedy before pointing and then Shane Kingston profited from Mark Ellis’s pass.
Limerick then lost Hannon to injury, William O’Donoghue replacing him, and the pain was compounded as an excellent Patrick Horgan point was followed by one from Darragh Fitzgibbon as Cork led by 0-5 to 0-3 after eight.
While the contest was perhaps short on quality at times, the teams didn’t lack for endeavour as Limerick replied well and they were level at 0-7 each thanks to quick points from Aaron Gillane (free), Darragh O’Donovan and Gearóid Hegarty.
Horgan, with a 65, and Tom Morrissey exchanged points before Cork seized the upper hand again with three on the trot, Horgan with two frees and Kearney following a nice pass from Christopher Joyce.
Limerick’s situation got a whole lot worse when Gillane was sent off by James Owens on the advice of a linesman, having struck his marker Seán O’Donoghue off the ball. Kingston’s second point added to the Limerick pain, but Cork were fortunate not to be reduced to 14 just after that as O’Donoghue, having been yellow-carded in the incident, fouled Cian Lynch to deny him a scoring opportunity only to escape further censure. Tom Morrissey, having taken over the free-taking duties from Gillane, pointed to make it 0-11 to 0-9.
In the wake of the sending-off, Cork reconfigured by making Mark Coleman the free man with O’Donoghue moving to right halfback and Ellis switching to the left wing. It was Coleman who made it 0-12 to 0-9 with a super score having been awarded an advantage, though Diarmaid Byrnes replied with a free from halfway for Limerick.
After Fitzgibbon got his second point following a darting run on 33, he was almost presented with a goal chance, but his midfield partner Bill Cooper, having carried the ball deep in Limerick territory, misplaced his handpass and the ball went harmlessly wide.
A goal then would have put Cork six ahead, even a point would have made it 0-14 to 0-10, but Limerick cut the gap to just a point in injury time as Tom Morrissey scored a free and then won the break from the puckout to snaffle his fourth point.
That was the 38th minute but there was still time for more drama as Limerick corner-back Richie English was left laid out following an off-the-ball incident. However, Owens, having spoken to the Limerick number four and Cork’s Lehane, opted against showing a card.
Colm Spillane had the final say of the half, launching a booming point from half-way after a misplaced clearance went straight to him, leaving it 0-14 to 0-12 at the interval, with Limerick manager John Kiely keen to share his thoughts with Owens as he left the field.
When Cork returned, it was with two changes in personnel, Tim O’Mahony on for O’Donoghue while Luke Meade replaced Dean Brosnan. Horgan put them three ahead with a free he had won himself, but Morrissey (free), Lynch and Graeme Mulcahy ensured that Limerick were level at 0-15 within six minutes of the restart.
It was being put up to Cork, but they showed they showed they looked like they had an answer in the 45th minute. When Séamus Harnedy secured possession from a throng of players on the Limerick 45, he spotted that Horgan was standing in splendid isolation and possession his way. While English sought to make a recovery, Horgan shook off his challenge and finished emphatically.
Incredibly, within six minutes of that goal, Limerick were back in front with a fightback spearheded by the wonderful Flanagan, his sixth point of the game making it 0-21 to 1-17 when Gearóid Hegarty picked him out with a sideline cut.
With Cork failing to take advantage of the numerical superiority by overplaying the ball, Limerick’s directness was standing to them and, after Horgan levelled, Tom Morrissey, Cian Lynch and Kyle Hayes (below) made it 0-24 to 1-18. Cork’s problems looked to be summed up by a bad Mark Ellis wide, but he was fouled as he shot and Horgan converted the free before doing likewise from his own 65.
Limerick weren’t done as Dan Morrissey became their tenth scorer and his brother Tom sent the free over when sub Pat Ryan was fouled just after coming on. They were tiring though, with Flanagan and Mulcahy withdrawn, and Cork came strongly, Lehane, Fitzgibbon, Horgan – his tenth – and Fitzgibbon again had them in front.
Again though, Limerick were able to respond. CorK: A Nash; S O’Donoghue (T O’Mahony H/T), D Cahalane, C Spillane; M Ellis, C Joyce, M Coleman; D Fitzgibbon, B Cooper; C Lehane (J Coughlan 70), D Brosnan (L Meade H/T), D Kearney; P Horgan, S Harnedy, S Kingston (M Cahalane 60). Scorers: P Horgan 1-11 (8f, 1 65), D Fitzgibbon 0-4, C Lehane 0-3, D Kearney, S Kingston 0-2 each, L Meade, M Coleman, C Spillane 0-1 each. lIMerICK: N Quaid; S Finn, M Casey, R English; D Byrnes, D Hannon (W O’Donoghue 7, injured), D Morrissey; D O’Donovan (P Browne 61), C Lynch; T Morrissey, K Hayes, G Hegarty (D Dempsey 55); S Flanagan (P Ryan 64), A Gillane, G Mulcahy (B Murphy 62). red card: Gillane 27. Scorers: T Morrissey 0-8 (5f), S Flanagan 0-6, C Lynch 0-3, D O’Donovan, G Mulcahy, D Byrnes (2f), K Hayes 0-2 each, G Hegarty, D Morrissey, A Gillane (f) 0-1 each. referee: J Owens (Wexford).