Huge crowd expected at Páirc Uí Chaoimh for latest Cork v Limerick instalment
CORK 2-21
WEXFORD 0-12
AFTER beating Limerick twice in the championship in 2024, Cork have the chance to make it three wins in a row against the Treaty County.
They face the 2023 All-Ireland champions in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A this Saturday under lights at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (7.30pm), off the back of a comprehensive win over Wexford.
Despite some players being absent due to players playing in the Fitzgibbon Cup and Sarsfields’ involvement in the All-Ireland club final, Rebels’ boss Pat Ryan is still upbeat about the players who have made a difference.
‘The Munster League is a bit of a loss, it gives you a bit of structure in what you’re doing, gives fellas game-time that they mightn’t see in the league and to wear the jersey in a proper game. We hadn’t played a lot of matches, we’ve a lot of fellas with Sars and the Fitzgibbon and left them away all along so we trained with 23, 24. Look, they’re all positives and we’re moving forward,’ Cork boss Ryan said after the Wexford game
‘Once we opened up, I thought we played some very good hurling and there were some good performances out there but look it’s the first game of the league. That’ll hopefully sharpen us up as we move forward.’
There are rumours that the attendance for this Saturday’s clash – incredibly, it will not be shown live on TV – will be touching 30,000, a big turnout for a league game at this time of year. The appetite is clearly there and Ryan and his troops will hope to put on a good show to make it two wins from two.
‘We played Limerick there (in Cork) two years ago and there were 20,000 there so in fairness the Cork fans will always come out when they’re home and in fairness to Limerick they have a fantastic following and rightly so with the team that they have,’ the Cork boss said.
‘It’s a huge game but we’ll regroup, see what injuries we have and see where we go.’
As for the opening game against Wexford, the Rebels were in complete control from the off. They were 0-4 to 0-1 up after 15 minutes with Brian Hayes, Declan Dalton, Padraig Power and Darragh Fitzgibbon all splitting the posts.
Newcestown man Luke Meade and forward Shane Kingston joined in on the scoring act before Power fired the sliotar into the bottom corner after wriggling away from his man, 1-10 to 0-2 after 28 minutes.
With the half-time score being 1-12 to 0-5, the Leinster side had little to no hope of making a comeback and in truth, Cork eased home. A Dalton penalty eight minutes into the second spell ended this contest, 2-12 to 0-6.
The double sending off of Dalton and Wexford’s Rory O’Connor for a scuffle garnered a lot of media attention. As it stands, the Fr O’Neills man is suspended for Cork’s clash with Limerick.
The game petered out in the end as the Rebels’ minds switched to their big clash by the Banks of the Lee.
Scorers
Cork: Declan Dalton 1-5 (1-0 pen, 2f, 1sl); Padraig Power 1-4; Brian Hayes, Darragh Fitzgibbon (2f) 0-4 each; Ethan Twomey 0-2; Shane Kingston, Seamus Harnedy 0-1 each.
Wexford: Cian Byrne 0-7f; Cathal Dunbar, Rory O’Connor, David Codd, Charlie McGuckin, Jack Redmond 0-1 each.
Cork: Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills), Sean O’Donoghue (Inniscarra); Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum); Luke Meade (Newcestown), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville); Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neills), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Brian Roche (Bride Rovers); Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s), Padraig Power (Blarney), Shane Kingston (Douglas).
Subs: Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s) for S O’Donoghue (33, inj), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s) for R Downey (47, inj), Seamus Harnedy (St Itas) for B Roche (56), Robbie Cotter (Blackrock) for S Barrett (64), Conor Lehane (Midleton) for S Kingston (68).
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Niall Murphy, Simon Donohoe, Eoin Ryan; Charlie McGuckin, Conor Foley, Darragh Carley; Conor Hearne, David Codd; Cathal Dunbar, Rory O’Connor, Corey Byrne Dunbar; Kevin Foley, Seamus Casey, Cian Byrne.
Subs: Sean Rowley for D Carley (22), Richie Lawlor for K Foley (34), Jack Redmond for S Rowley (35 inj), Tomas Kinsella for C Byrne Dunbar (54), Conal Flood for S Casey (66).
Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary).
