Limerick unlikely to pull off second shock of the championship

Cork v Limerick

FEW would have predicted that Cork and Limerick would face off in the Munster Senior football Championship semi-final this season when the draw was made, however, the Treaty side secured their spot in the provincial last four after an impressive and well-deserved victory over Tipperary in recent weeks.

This Saturday night the pairing will go head to head for a place in the showpiece game and while Cork will be favourites to advance few will give the Shannonsiders no chance – in fact such have been the struggles on Leeside in recent years few would be shocked if Limerick advance – that said, this is Cork’s chance to again lock horns with Kerry in a final, assuming the Kingdom can get past Clare in the other last four encounter.

Cork manager Ronan McCarthy has not been afraid to call up new players for this one and has gone with three debutants in a must win game for the men in red. Douglas star Nathan Walsh will come in at corner back for his first championship cap with, Clonakilty’s Liam O’Donovan slotting in ahead at wing-back.

North Cork hasn’t been forgotten in the reshuffle either with Knocknagree’s Eoghan McSweeney in the half-forward line for his debut Munster Championship outing.

There is some solidity and continuity in the spine of the team that lost to Tyrone in July last year with Mallow’s James Loughrey in the full-back line, Clonakilty’s Thomas Clancy and Mathew Taylor of Mallow in the line ahead.

Ian Maguire and Ken O’Hanlon will take the midfield duties while Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers), Brian Hurley (Castlehaven) and Mark Collins (Castlehaven) will give this side a serious attacking threat. So what will Limerick bring to this particular party?

Well, first and foremost the importance of having a championship game under your belts already can’t be underestimated – Cork’s hurlers proved that against the Treaty side’s hurling brethren two weekends before.

Add that experience to the fact that Limerick saw off a Tipperary side that just a few years ago made the All-Ireland semi-final and you might some idea that this is not a side to be taken lightly.

In the scoring stakes hard to look past the threat coming from Iain Corbett and Cillian Fahy who bagged 2-4 between them against the Premier County. Jamie Lee is another that will feature on the board with Peter Nash and Adrian Enright another pairing that will need to be watched.

Cork will need to be solid from the off and keep the visitors at bay for as long as possible. Cork cant afford to let Limerick take anything like a substantial lead as those that believe the men in green will freeze the closer they get to the finishing line obviously didn’t see the quarter final against Tipp, when Limerick showed they are more than capable of seeing out a game when the win comes into view.

There really can be no excuses here for the home side. A win is a must and scraping past is unlikely to bring many more through the turnstiles anytime soon. Cork need to be powerful, confident and ruthless – racking up a big score would help but anything north of 1-14 should be more than acceptable here.

Limerick will look to create tension in Páirc Uí Rinn, both on and off the pitch, and the best way to do that is to keep this one tight. Don’t be expecting to see anything like a free flowing game from the visitors in the first half as they would probably take seven or eight points now heading for the interval.

Can’t really look past Cork here but the manner of this display will need to be every bit as good as the result otherwise hard to see Kerry of Clare quaking in their boots any time soon.

Verdict: Cork by five

CORK TEAM: M White (Clonakilty); N Walsh (Douglas), J Loughrey (Mallow), K Flahive (Douglas); L O’Donovan (Clonakilty), Thomas Clancy (Clonakilty), M Taylor (Mallow); I Maguire (St Finbarr’s), K O’Hanlon (Kilshannig); E McSweeney (Knocknagree), R Deane (Bantry Blues), J O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers); P Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers), B Hurley (Castlehaven), M Collins (Castlehaven) Subs: M Martin (Nemo Rangers), K O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers), S White (Clonakilty), Tomás Clancy (Fermoy), S Cronin (Nemo Rangers), A Browne (Newmarket), R O’Toole (Éire Óg), K O’Driscoll (Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh), M Hurley (Castlehaven), L Connolly (Nemo Rangers), S Sherlock (St Finbarr’s)