Sport

Stiff challenge fails to stop Cork

Munster Under-21 FC Semi-finals/Cork 0-14 Limerick 1-7:  Cork football received a timely boost with a hard-fought victory over…

Thu Jul 29 2004 - 01:00

Munster Under-21 FC Semi-finals/Cork 0-14 Limerick 1-7: Cork football received a timely boost with a hard-fought victory over Limerick in the Munster under-21 football championship semi-final at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday evening.

The decisive period came in a 10-minute spell midway through the second half when Cork scored four points without reply to move 0-13 to 1-5 clear and finished Limerick's challenge.

Cork started brightly, thanks to Séamus O'Sullivan's influence at midfield, and established a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after 11 minutes following good scores by Cian O'Riordan, Kevin O'Sullivan and John Hayes.

Limerick reduced the deficit by two points after John O'Connell and Darren Horan found the range before they drew level in controversial circumstances.

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Nine minutes from the break Seán Buckley broke through the middle of the Cork defence only to shoot wide from close range. Cork full back Donal O'Donovan was adjudged to have used his foot in an attempted block which resulted in a penalty, expertly converted by O'Connell, who gave goalkeeper Kevin Murphy no chance with an explosive shot.

Now tied at 0-6 to 1-3, Cork recovered to finish the half on top and two points from Kevin O'Sullivan gave them a deserved 0-8 to 1-3 interval lead.

Limerick started the second half in determined fashion and reduced the deficit to the minimum following points from Horan and an Andrew Lane free, but a weak attack struggled against a tight defence and Cork pulled away for a comfortable victory in the end.

CORK: K Murphy; M Prout, D O'Donovan, B Crowley; N O'Riordan, P Nealon, E O'Connor (0-1); S O'Sullivan, D Coughlan; C O'Riordan (0-3 one free), P Kelly (0-1), J Hayes (0-2); J O'Shea, T Twomey, K O'Sullivan (0-6, four frees). Subs: R Long (0-1) for O'Shea (44 mins), D Burns for Kelly (53 mins), K Murphy for Coughlan (59 mins).

LIMERICK: M Jones; S Fox, J McCarthy, D McAuley; A Lane, P Browne, E Benson (0-1); R Hayes, D Horan (0-2); S Buckley, J O'Connell (1-2, 1-0 penalty, 0-1 free), G Noonan (0-1); J Lyons, K O'Connor, P Kinnerk. Subs: J Carroll (0-1) for Lyons 38 mins, V O'Connell for Kinnerk 43 mins, J Ryan for O'Connor 50 mins, A McEntee for Noonan 53 mins.

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).