MUNSTER SFC SEMI FINAL: Cork 2-9 Limerick 0-12: LIMERICK BRAVEHEARTS were stunned as Cork staged a Houdini-style comeback to snatch a dramatic late win in the Munster senior football semi-final at the Gaelic Grounds yesterday.
Two goals inside the final seconds denied Limerick a win that on their overall performance they would have deserved.
Limerick were three points in front with two minutes remaining, having played all but six minutes of the second half with only 14 men and it looked as if last year's All-Ireland finalists, Cork, would be joining their county's hurlers in the qualifiers.
It was a thrilling affair with both sides losing a man for second bookable offences in a second half which saw Limerick's Seánie Buckley sent off after 41 minutes.
Cork's Donncha O'Connor was sent to the line after 57 minutes in a game which saw 12 yellow cards brandished, seven to Cork.
Limerick made the brighter start and led 0-3 to 0-1 after 13 minutes through points from Michael Crowley (twice) and John Cooke while Cork's opening point came from Pearse O'Neill.
John Hayes (Cork) and Ian Ryan exchanged points and the sides were level at 0-4 each after 24 minutes and they were level again at 0-5 each two minutes later before a point by Hayes edged Cork into a 0-6 to 0-5 half- time lead. Both sides had four wides in that opening period.
When Nicholas Murphy had the opening point for Cork on the resumption it looked a little ominous for Limerick who pulled a point back through Crowley but then came the Buckley's dismissal.
Graham Canty was chosen to be the roaming player for Cork but Limerick reacted best to the dismissal and man of the match John Galvin added a point to tie the game. A Crowley point put Limerick in front again and it was 14 minutes before Cork had their first score of the half, a well-taken effort by Daniel Goulding.
Donncha O'Connor had Cork back in front but then followed a spell of total dominance for Limerick with Ian Ryan chipping over two points although in between he missed an easy free from close range.
A superb point by Stephen Kelly had Limerick 0-12 to 0-9 ahead and on the brink of one of their biggest wins for years.
But those two goalkeeping errors by Kiely, who earlier made a marvellous save to deny Goulding, paved the way for the late goals that broke Limerick hearts.
On both occasions the goalkeeper went high to gather the ball but each time he was unable to retain possession and while Goulding celebrated his own goal and did likewise when the other goal was scored he sportingly admitted later that it was Canty who got the crucial final touch.
Limerick's Galvin, and Ian Ryan certainly didn't deserve to be on the losing side. Considering it was their first championship outing, Cork will be more than happy to have escaped with this fortunate win.
Nicholas Murphy and John Hayes were their top performers on the day but they will have to show vast improvement to beat Kerry in the Munster final.
Limerick manager O'Sullivan said afterwards: "I am gutted for the players. They showed great professionalism and dedication. They restored pride to the Limerick jersey. Ian Ryan is a fine young player, just out of minor and he will blossom. We deserved more and we will build on that.
"We knew going into the game we had a big psychological advantage and we believed that if we held them for the first 15 minutes we would disrupt them. I do not believe that the best team won."
Of the winning goal, O'Sullivan said: "Our goalkeeper seemed to take the ball back into a crowd of players. These things happen and I am not blaming him for the defeat".
Goulding, the man whose goal sparked the dramatic win, said: "It was some escape. They put it up to us really. They are a good team. We were focused at half time to come out and drive on in the second half.
"But things change in a game and we had to deal with the situation as it developed. Limerick had some superb scores but we showed heart and bottle in the end to win it." Referring to the crucial winning goal he added he added: "It seemed a point was there for the taking but the ball dropped short. The keeper fumbled it and I was in there but it was Graham (Canty) who knocked it in."
LIMERICK: S Kiely, D Carroll, J McCarthy, S Gallagher; P Browne, S Lavin, P Ranahan; J O'Donovan, J Galvin (0-1); S Kelly (0-1), J Cooke (0-1), S Buckley; M Crowley (0-4), K O'Callaghan, I Ryan (0-5, two frees). Subs: S Walsh for Carroll (half-time); D Phelan for O'Donovan (39 mins); J Ryan for Cooke (43 mins); E Keating for O'Callaghan (57 mins).
CORK: A Quirke, D Duggan, G Canty (1-0), B O'Regan; N O'Leary, G Spillane, P Kissane, (K O'Connor (35mins); N Murphy (0-2), A O'Connor; P O'Neill (0-1), F Goold, S O'Brien; D Goulding (1-1), D O'Connor (0-2, one free), J Hayes (0-3). Subs: K O'Connor for Kissane (41 mins); J Masters for A O'Connor (52 mins); C McCarthy for Goold (61 mins); P Kelly for O'Brien (63 mins); M Cussen for Goolding (70 + 3).
RED CARDS: D O'Connor, Cork, (56 mins). S Buckley, Limerick, (41 mins).
Referee: G Ó Conamha(Galway).
