Limerick 2-25 Cork 1-16

Cork got off to the perfect start, they had a goal after 15 seconds and they had the Páirc Uí Chaoimh crowd behind them but none of that mattered.

Because after all that, and for the third championship game in a row, Limerick devoured them like a man would a boy. The All-Ireland champions were guilty of hitting a few poor wides and a few poor passes to start off but once they settled into it and once they started hurling, Cork had nothing close to an answer for them.

Not many would have had. Gearoid Hegarty had one of those days out there, the big St Patrick’s club-man hurling with an ease and composure that saw him either score or set up a score with every touch. He was border-line unplayable and no matter what Cork tried, they couldn’t get near the big easy.

On the same side of the field, just 50 yards down the line, the same could be said for the irrepressible Diarmaid Byrnes. Try as you might, and watch as much hurling as you can but you will never find a better ball-striker than the Patrickswell man. The horse and cart of a wing back scored 0-6 on the day, half of them from open play and as if he needed to do more, he also totally and completely dominated anything else that came near him.

One of his points off the back foot was as fine a score as you’ll see.

Just like he did in the All-Ireland final, Shane Kingston was the man who got Cork off to a flying start with a well-taken goal but that was as good as it got for them. In a pattern that wasn’t too dis-similar to their League final loss to Waterford, they were too dithery and too indecisive. In fairness, against a team like Limerick, in that sort of form, it is very hard to be anything else.

Just Cian Lynch scoring a point off one-knee. Because why not?pic.twitter.com/ZsxbzICwjC

— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) April 17, 2022

At half-time, Donal Óg Cusack attempted to sum up the source of Cork’s downfall and he felt that, in playing Mark Coleman as a sweeper, they were shooting themselves in the foot.