Limerick 1-11 Cork 0-16 (AET)

Cork stuttered into the All-Ireland quarter-finals as Limerick fell away in extra-time at the Gaelic Grounds.

A late penalty from Ger Collins and point from substitute Conor Fitzgerald got Limerick level at 1-09 to 0-12, but extra-time points from substitute Donncha O'Connor (0-02), Paddy Kelly and Daniel Goulding shot the Rebels through.

The Shannonsiders were denied an early penalty and Seanie Buckley also struck the crossbar, before Cork levelled for half-time and Conor Counihan's men prevailed eventually in a poor quality clash.

This was another one that got away for Limerick who breezed into a 0-03 to 0-00 lead and missed out on two goals during the opening 12 minutes.

There were three changes to the Cork team announced during the week, with Noel O'Leary, Derek Kavanagh and Paul Kerrigan taking over from John Miskella, Alan O'Connor and Fintan Goold.

Limerick lined out as selected, unchanged from their Munster final defeat to Kerry, and were obviously determined to gain revenge on Cork for last year's one-point reversal in the provincial decider.

Limerick elected to play against a slight wind in the opening half, and corner forward Collins latched onto a breaking ball to clip over the first point after 48 seconds.

Cork survived a fifth minute scare when Aidan Walsh seemed to drag down John Galvin as the big Limerick midfielder looked to create enough space for a shot on goal.

A penalty seemed the likely conclusion, but referee Padraig Hughes stunned most of the watching crowd by awarding a free out to the visitors.

The television replays showed that it was a clear penalty and Cork were let off the hook again, seven minutes, when Limerick captain Seanie Buckley rattled a rising shot off the crossbar.

Collins had doubled his tally as Limerick continued to set the tone, while Cork struggled for any meaningful possession amid wides from Kavanagh and free-taker Paddy Kelly.

A superb pacy attack, initiated by Stephen Lucey, set Buckley racing towards goal, with O'Leary in his slipstream. The Limerick attacker's shot had goalkeeper Alan Quirke beaten, only for the woodwork to come to Cork's rescue.

Collins followed up with a free to increase the lead to three, a gap Cork soon set about whittling away.

Kavanagh stepped off his right and away from Galvin to open the Rebels' account in the 14th minute, and Goulding floated his first free over soon after.

Cork had registered four wides by the time Limerick wing back Stephen Lavin burst onto a half clearance and raided through the middle of the Cork defence for a polished score.

But Mickey Ned O'Sullivan's men could only manage one further point before half-time, through Stephen Kelly in the 32nd minute.

Cork were gradually getting to grips with the game, particularly around the half-back and midfield areas, and Limerick's poor distribution in towards their two-man full-forward line certainly let them down.

Cork could have had a goal in the 24th minute. Limerick coughed up possession in defence and a classy through ball from Kerrigan gave Colm O'Neill the chance to step past Mark O'Riordan and pull the trigger.

His rasping shot was well struck but it was straight at goalkeeper Brian Scanlon who parried it over for the concession of a point.

Points from Goulding and O'Neill, sandwiching Kelly's effort, brought the sides level for the second time. The quality of football improved somewhat in the second half, and within twelve minutes these Munster rivals were stll level pegging.

Ray Carey added his weight to the Cork attack, just after the restart, and helped Aidan Walsh nudge Cork 0-06 to 0-05 ahead. Goulding kicked a long range free for a two-point gap, which Limerick managed to close through Lavin and James Ryan, with the talismanic Galvin involved in both moves.

However, the Shannonsiders failed to score for the next 21 minutes as Cork moved into what looked to be a match-winning lead - 0-12 to 0-07.

Counihan's charges did not look like All-Ireland contenders, but they were doing just enough to deserve their lead. Goulding brought his personal haul to six points, teenage full-forward Ciaran Sheehan added his name to the scoresheet and a crossfield ball from Colm O'Neill teed up substitute Alan O'Connor for a 65th minute point.

Pearse O'Neill and substitute Nicholas Murphy, two of Cork's top performers in past years, had increased their influence on proceedings, and not even the most fervent of Limerick supporters could have envisaged what would happen next.

Collins kicked a free from a tight angle to kickstart an inspired late spell from Limerick.

In the second minute of injury-time, James Ryan lobbed a free towards the Cork square in the hope of nabbing a goal. Referee Hughes spotted a push by Alan O'Connor on Jim O'Donovan and the home side had a lifeline - a penalty.

Collins brilliantly tucked it away in the bottom left corner of the net, away from the diving Quirke.

With just one point in it and time running out, Limerick went in desperate search of the levelling point.

Their desire and belief in themselves was rewarded when Quirke produced a poor kickout, and the ball was worked to unmarked substitute Conor Fitzgerald who lofted over the point which tied the game at 1-09 to 0-12.

The floodlights were switched on for extra-time and although Limerick started brightly, their early endeavour led to a wide from James Ryan.

Goulding also shot wide twice and Nicholas Murphy picked up Cork's seventh yellow card - Limerick had six in normal time - before Collins failed to punish the Rebels for some slack defending, after a brilliant block by Padraig Browne at the other end.

It was left to Cork substitute Donncha O'Connor to provide some scoring inspiration. He converted two chances - one from play, and the other a late free - to move the visitors 0-14 to 1-09 ahead by the end of the first period of extra-time.

Neither side were able to push on in the second half. Limerick roused themselves with a terrific tight-angled free from goalkeeper Scanlon, and Galvin was pushed in towards the edge of the square.

But their play lacked composure and direction at crucial times, and when Paddy Kelly burst into space to pop over a timely point off his right, Cork's two-point margin was still there.

Ian Ryan flicked a free over off the left-hand post in injury-time to jangle Cork's nerves. However, Cork had the final say at the end of this hard-fought battle as, following the dismissal of Limerick's Lavin for a second bookable offence, top scorer Goulding sent the resulting free through the uprights to keep Cork's drive for the Sam Maguire Cup alive and dash Limerick's hopes once again.

Scorers: Limerick: G Collins 1-04 (1-00 pen, 0-02f), S Lavin 0-02, J Ryan, C Fitzgerald, B Scanlon (0-01f), S Kelly, I Ryan (0-01f) 0-01 each

Cork: D Goulding 0-07 (0-05f), D O'Connor (0-01f), C O'Neill 0-02 each, D Kavanagh, A Walsh, C Sheehan, A O'Connor, P Kelly 0-01 each

LIMERICK: B Scanlon; M O'Riordan, J McCarthy, A Lane; S Lavin, S Lucey, P Ranahan; J O'Donovan, J Galvin; P Browne, J Ryan, S Buckley (capt); G Collins, I Ryan, S Kelly.

Subs used: S Gallagher for McCarthy (24-26 mins, blood sub), C Mullane for O'Riordan (41), E Joy for Browne (43), C Fitzgerald for Buckley (52), S Gallagher for Lucey (63), E O'Connor for I Ryan (66), J Mullane for O'Donovan (68-69, blood sub); P Browne for Ranahan (extra-time), S Buckley for Joy (5, extra-time); I Ryan for O'Connor (half-time, extra-time), J Mullane for Collins (14, extra-time)

CORK: A Quirke; R Carey, M Shields, J O'Sullivan; N O'Leary, G Canty (capt), P Kissane; D Kavanagh, A Walsh; P Kerrigan, P O'Neill, P Kelly; D Goulding, C Sheehan, C O'Neill.

Subs used: D O'Connor for Kerrigan, N Murphy for Walsh (both 49 mins), A O'Connor for Kavanagh (58), F Goold for Kelly (70); P Kelly for Goold (extra-time), E Cotter for Shields (5, extra-time), P Kerrigan for Sheehan (17, extra-time), F Goold for A O'Connor (20, extra-time).

Referee: Padraig Hughes (Armagh)