Cork will meet Clare in the McGrath Cup final this Saturday after comfortably dismissing Limerick in today’s penultimate round clash at a venue which had neither a stand nor a scoreboard.
Cork held a 1-6 to 0-6 advantage at the end of a competitive first 35 minutes of football, but what materialised thereafter was of a most one-sided variety as the visitors to Mick Neville Park outscored their hosts by 2-9 to 0-1 in the second-half.
Indeed, Limerick’s sole second-half score - a Sean McSweeney free - did not arrive until the third minute of stoppages. McSweeney accounted for all but one of Limerick's miserable 0-7 total, the county’s sole score from play arriving five minutes into the first-half.
Cork pulled clear of their opponents when registering two goals during the opening three minutes of the second period. Newcomer Paul Walsh of Kanturk palmed the ball to the net after being set-up by Ruairi Deane, with captain Ian Maguire bagging their third goal. The St Finbarr’s midfielder was sent on his way by a Brian Hurley handpass which took three Limerick defenders out of the equation.
Hurley top-scored with 1-3, fellow corner-forward and West Cork man, Damien Gore of Kilmacabea, also showing well in what was his first competitive start for the Cork seniors.
B Hurley (1-3, 0-1 free); I Maguire (1-2); P Walsh (1-1); R Deane, D Gore (0-2 each); J Loughrey, K Crowley, J Fitzpatrick, T Corkery, E McSweeney (0-1 each).
S McSweeney (0-6, 0-6 frees); T Griffin (0-1).
Cork: M White; C Dennehy, J Loughrey, K O’Donovan; K Crowley, K Flahive, P Walsh; I Maguire, K O’Hanlon; T Clancy, S White, M Taylor; D Gore, R Deane, B Hurley.
Subs: T Corkery for Crowley (22 mins, inj); E McSweeney for White (HT); A Browne for Loughrey (39); J Fitzpatrick for O’Hanlon (42); P Murphy for Flahive (48).
Limerick: D O’Sullivan; P Maher, S O’Dea, M Donovan; B Fanning, T McCarthy, G Brown; D Treacy, T Griffin; J Liston, S McSweeney, M Fitzgibbon; P Nash, A Kearns, K Daly.
Subs: C McSweeney for Fanning, D Lyons for Daly (both 39); S Keely for Fitzgibbon (46); J Lee for Liston, L Murphy for Maher (55).
Referee: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).