Limerick 1-20 Cork 1-21
Alan Cadogan bagged a winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Cork edged out Limerick by just a single point in the Co-Op Superstores.ie Munster SH League final.
Limerick looked on course for a second title in three seasons but with time almost up, Cadogan took a pass from Seamus Harnedy, shrugged off the attentions of two defenders and slotted home a classy winning goal.
When the sides met a fortnight ago, Cork scored seven goals and won by 21 points but they had to wait until the very end to make sure of today’s result.
It was a dramatic end to an entertaining game that was level nine times, with Cork gaining a significant boost ahead of their Allianz HL Division 1A opener against Clare in a fortnight’s time.
Limerick had their biggest lead of the game in the second half when David Dempsey’s 53rd minute score opened up a four-point lead – 1-16 to 0-15.
Cork opened up with five points without reply then to gain the advantage but in a seesaw finish, Limerick looked good for victory when Dempsey’s point was initially waved wide and then awarded.
Patrick Horgan was then off-target with a free from 45m out and when Diarmaid Byrnes converted a placed ball for Limerick, they were two clear.
And yet there was still time for Cadogan to show his class, burying an eye-catching goal to seal victory for the visiting Rebels.
Quaid was beaten on this occasion, having denied Cadogan early in the game before keeping out Darragh Fitzgibbon early in the second half.
At the end of a first half that was level six times, Limerick had a two-point advantage, ahead by 1-11 to 0-12.
Dempsey’s ninth-minute goal effectively separated the sides as the Na Piarsaigh man netted following a defence-splitting pass from James Ryan, the newly-appointed Limerick captain.
Conor Lehane and Shane Kingston were looking lively for Cork in the half-forward line while Limerick had Graeme Mulcahy in lively attacking form.
A Limerick defence that was extremely porous in the recent meeting between the sides was much better on this occasion but cracked at the death as Cadogan had the final say.
Winning manager Kieran Kingston revealed after the game, however, that Colm Spillane, Damien Cahalane and Stephen McDonnell sustained injuries that will be evaluated in the coming days.
CORK: A Nash; D Cahalane, C Spillane, S McDonnell; M Ellis, C Joyce, M Coleman (0-01); L McLoughlin, D Fitzgibbon; C Lehane (0-03), L Meade, S Kingston (0-03); A Cadogan (1-02), P Horgan (0-09, 6f), D Kearney (0-01).
Subs: K Burke for Spillane (h.t.), D Griffin for Cahalane (h.t.), D Brosnan (0-01) for McLoughlin (h.t.), S Harnedy (0-01) for Fitzgibbon (58), C O’Sullivan for McDonnell (inj., 70+4).
LIMERICK: N Quaid; M Casey, R McCarthy, S Cahill; D Byrnes (0-04, 3f), D Hannon, G O’Mahony; P Browne, J Ryan; G Hegarty (0-01), D Dempsey (1-03), K Hayes (0-01); P Casey (0-07, 6f), B Nash (0-01), G Mulcahy (0-03).
Subs: C Lynch for Ryan (59), K O’Brien for Hayes (68), S Tobin for Mulcahy (70+4).
Referee: Philip Kelly (Tipperary)
