All Ireland SHC Quarter-final/Cork 0-19 Limerick 0-18: The thread on which Cork's All-Ireland title hung had to be of the highest quality from the weaver's basket. Courageous Limerick attempted to complete the mother and father of all grandstand finishes in front of a charged crowd at Semple Stadium on Saturday.
The sigh of relief was gale force from the large Cork following as Dublin referee Eamonn Morris sounded the final whistle. Cork manager John Allen reacted to his team's great escape. "I would have been happy with a draw heading into injury time. It was a dog-fight and we won the dog-fight".
Limerick's run of five unanswered points in the final quarter put the issue into the melting pot.
Cork's six-point advantage was whittled down to the minimum in a heart-stopping finish.
The intensity and excitement of the closing stages atoned for a generally poor match marred by scenes of indiscipline. Cork midfielder Jerry O'Connor had an altercation with a pitch invader just before the restart after the interval.
Limerick players jostled Cork's full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan as he went upfield to take a vital Cork penalty. Allen said, "Diarmuid was so shook up by the experience that we gave the penalty shot to Joe Deane, who took the point on our advice".
That Deane point heading toward injury time put three points between the sides, but Limerick again got it down to the minimum with pointed frees from Andrew O'Shaughnessy and a majestic point by wing back Mark Foley from inside his own 65.
Ben O'Connor threw Cork yet another lifeline when pointing the last of his five valuable scores to leave two points between them. Limerick sub Michael Keane cut the lead once more to one point and Niall McCarthy restored the twopoint advantage before Limerick's Mike O'Brien pointed on the stroke of time. Too many players shaped up to each other to settle their differences and Cork selector Joe O'Leary confirmed that midfielder O'Connor was struck by a Limerick supporter.
"This type of thing should not happen" he said. And O'Leary added, "It was Limerick's All-Ireland final. They were fired up but thankfully we survived it."
A downpour defused Cork's wind advantage in the second half and Brian Corcoran missed a good goal chance. But Cork survived and Allen was relieved. "It's probably an ideal situation for us to know that we were not great today going into the semi-finals. It wasn't a good match. There was too much giveaway ball and scrambling."
Ben O'Connor and Joe Deane shared 10 of Cork's tally. Tom Kenny in midfield contributed hugely in front of the dynamic Cork half-back line of John Gardiner, Ronan Curran and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín. Curran was a veritable padlock on Cork's central defence while Neil Ronan enjoyed a profitable outing.
Comparable displays for Limerick, down 0-6 to 0-11 at half time, were provided by corner back Séamus Hickey, wing backs Ollie Moran and Mark Foley, wing forward Niall Moran and corner forward Andrew O'Shaughnessy.
Substitutes Pat Tobin and Mark Keane made their mark by between them contributing three points.
CORK: D Óg Cusack; B Murphy, D O'Sullivan, P Mulcahy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; T
Kenny (0-2), J O'Connor (0-1); T McCarthy, N McCarthy (0-2), N Ronan (0-3); B O'Connor
(0-5, two frees), B Corcoran (0-1), J Deane (0-5, three frees and a pen). Subs: K Murphy for T
McCarthy 62 mins)
LIMERICK B Murray; D Reale, S Lucey, S Hickey; O Moran, B Geary, M Foley (0-1 free); B Foley, D Ryan; N Moran (0-4), M O'Brien (0-2), TJ Ryan (0-1); A O'Shaughnessy (0-5, four frees), B Begley, C Fitzgerald (0-2). Subs: P Tobin (0-2) for Begley (44 mins); M Keane (0-1) for B Foley (67).
Referee: E Morris (Dublin).
