Where to start? In the past couple of years I’ve been exposed to so many matches I believed were as good as any I’d ever seen that it has become harder to impress me. But Saturday night was fantastic: massive crowd, excitement, important indicators for the future and a dynamite finish.
Start at the end. All the question marks and reservations about Cork are embodied by Shane Kingston.
He has had a tough few years with injuries, carrying the weight of an outstanding underage career, the fact that his father was manager – not an easy situation, as both have acknowledged – and not taking important chances.
He came on as a sub on Saturday just as Limerick were turning an eight-point deficit into a four-point lead and had a great opportunity for a score in front of goal. He missed. Imagine how the young fella felt at that moment. But that wasn’t the end of it.
He then gets an unbelievable point off his right, having popped up over on the other side. And for a finish, he takes off on this incredible run down the left – it was like an under-12 match – and taps the ball over a defender’s head and gets pulled down by Kyle Hayes for a penalty, which Patrick Horgan duly buries in the top corner.
This wasn’t just redemption for Shane Kingston but Cork. They did everything that has to be done if you’re going to beat Limerick.
I’d say when John Kiely and his players were coming off the field and saw that rapturous Cork support clambering on to the field, they were wondering about the long-term effect of what had happened. It felt like the red and white genie was out of the bottle. They’ll be hoping that Tipperary put the lid back on next week.
The attributes that Cork have are well known. They have speed, athleticism and scoring power but they brought an unexpected aerial prowess, which I never believed they would be able to produce against Limerick of all teams.
They also ran at them and when they got the half backs turned with space behind them, Limerick’s big line no longer look so imperious. Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy and Darragh Fitzgibbon had a field day in that respect whereas Alan Connolly, Patrick Horgan and Brian Hayes all looked dangerous.
Their defence also really held up. It was an extraordinary team effort.
Limerick had the same issues they’ve had all season. They were quite open at the back and lethargic – you could almost use Diarmaid Byrnes’s frees as a metaphor. They’re not even close to going over the bar. Typically, he has been good for five or six points when he’s going well. It’s as if the team are a function of the frees – well off target – and it must be affecting his confidence.
The two ends of the team are holding it together. Nickie Quaid again made vitally important saves. They were eight down at half-time and it had taken two saves – one brilliant and the other outstanding – to keep it at that. In Ennis against Clare, he also kept out goals that would have sunk them.
In the full forward line Aaron Gillane was doing his best to create chances and inflict damage whereas, beside him, Séamus Flanagan was on fire. It tells us something that he could score 3-3 and still end up on the losing side. Their problems were in the many areas between Quaid and the full forwards.
Still, at half-time, you felt that with the wind behind them, Limerick wouldn’t have to cope with those long puckouts over their half backs and that is largely how it happened. As a result, they improved and started to rumble.
When Ger Hegarty, who has been consistently good for them even as far back as the league semi-final against Kilkenny, put them four up it looked for all the world that Cork had typically nearly got there – a great display but ending up short. Big home support but carted out on their shields. Again.
It’s to their eternal credit that they refused to keep playing that role.
Limerick have much improving to do. They are also running up an alarming injury list, losing Mike Casey against Clare, Peter Casey in the Tipp match and now Seán Finn. Add to that Darragh O’Donovan’s absence to date and it’s a big hole in the team – even one used to carrying injuries to key players, just not this many.
Finally, a mention for Carlow, whose draw with Kilkenny was one of those results that makes you assume there’s been a mistake and was all the more surprising and creditable because I believe that Kilkenny have been going so well and are strong contenders for another All-Ireland final.
Leinster has turned into a series of tales of the unexpected and, not to be too outdone by Munster, is also creating great excitement.
