Limerick 3-32 Cork 2-31: Treaty reach final after thriller

Limerick overcame Cork in a thriller at Croke Park, winning 3-32 to 2-31 after extra-time, to progress to the All-Ireland SHC final.

With just the 62 scores from Clare and Galway in an epic semi-final 24 hours prior to throw-in, the all-Munster meeting of Cork and Limerick had much to live up to in Croke Park.

Given the drama on show when the Rebels and Treaty met at the start of June at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the second semi-final of the weekend had the promise to deliver another classic. Hurling is due a bad game, but there was no hope of that happening on Sunday. If anything, Sunday's meeting out-shone the meeting the previous day.

The stage couldn't have been more ideal. Croke Park was packed close to capacity, as the Jones' Road venue was a cauldron of noise. The cries of "anyone buying or selling a ticket?" around the stadium from early morning was ample evidence of the massive interest in the clash, not to mind the M7 gridlock.

The stage was set, and it was over to the teams on the pitch to serve up a treat to an already-spoilt hurling public.

Right from throw-in, it picked up from exactly where Clare-Galway left off. As the sun shined down on the northside of Dublin and the roar reverberated around the famous arena, the two teams responded. They went point-for-point in the early exchanges with Gearóid Hegarty and Mark Coleman scoring some of the more eye-catching scores in an absorbing contest.

It was breathless, it was heart-stopping, and it was impossible to take your eyes away. The players got drawn into the pace of the occasion too, and this was exemplified by Diarmaid Byrnes volleying the ball over his shoulder to let it into his forwards, rather than catching it when he had space.

The Treaty were making headway with long balls into Aaron Gillane who was isolated inside on Colm Spillane, and the Patrickswell club-man was winning the duel. Last year's U21 star twice caught the ball over the Castlelyons back, losing his hurley on both occasions but couldn't kick it to the net on either occasion, one punting it over the bar and blasting wide on the other occasion.

The Rebels also had their goal chances, as Pat Horgan reacted first after Daniel Kearney hit the post, but the Glen Rovers sharp-shooter could only scoop it over the bar. Minutes later, Shane Kingston ran in on goal, but Nickie Quaid was equal to the shot, as he parried it over the bar.

After 35 minutes of remarkable point-taking, the clock was ticking down to half-time, but the goal breakthrough finally came, as Cian Lynch was fed in by Séamus Flanagan, and Lynch made no mistake as he rattled the net to give his side a 1-12 to 0-14 lead at the break.

The second period opened at a frantic pace, as Cork hit straight back.

Conor Lehane well and truly took the game by the scruff of the neck as the Midleton star cut loose. Having being held scoreless in the opening half, he scored 1-03 after the break to put the Rebels well and truly in the driving seat.

Darragh Fitzgibbon was also excellent, as the Rebels enjoyed a purple patch all over the field. Lehane's goal came straight from a Nash puck-out, and he ran in from the right to fire a rifle of a shot into the roof of the net.

As Darragh Fitzgibbon stormed from his own 45 deep into the Limerick half, without meeting any opposition, to tap the sliotar over the bar and put Cork six up, 1-26 to 1-20, there was a real sense it's going to be the Rebels' day.

However, from there it was all Limerick. Buoyed by Aaron Gillane and substitute Shane Dowling, they came storming back and remarkably took the lead, 1-27 to 1-26. Decibel levels ensured Croker was shaking in its foundations after Gillane gave them the lead from a free, but there was to be another twist. Cork were awarded a free wide on the left from outside the 65. 'Hoggy' wasted no time to drive it over and force it to extra-time.

What were we saying earlier about there being pressure on this match to live up to Clare-Galway?

As extra-time got underway, Horgan opened with a free for the Rebels. The Treaty hit straight back, as Gillane found himself one-on-one, and send a rasper of a shot intended for goal which fizzed over the bar for a point.

Dowling and Gillane hit further points to give their side a one-point cushion at the break, 1-30 to 1-29.

It looked like it was going to go down to the wire. As soon as the second half started, Limerick took control.

Shane Dowling ran in on goal, but was dragged down and Paud O'Dwyer awarded a penalty. The Na Piarsaigh star stood over the ball and buried it himself. Moments later, the umpire raised a green flag, and thousands of Limerick fans did likewise as Pat Ryan ran in from the right to flick it over Nash's head and into the net.

When David Reidy fired over a point to make it 3-32 to 2-31, the roars were from those clad in green, as John Kiely's men capped a famous, famous day for Limerick hurling. They take on the winner of Clare vs Galway in the All-Ireland final.

Judging by the utter absurdity of this hurling summer so far, it's still anybody's guess where Liam MacCarthy will winter.

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Referee: Paud O'Dwyer (Carlow)

Attendance: 71,073

Scorers for Limerick: Aaron Gillane 0-13 (0-07 frees), Shane Dowling 1-04 (1-00 penalty, 0-01 free), Graeme Mulcahy 0-04, Cian Lynch 1-01, Pat Ryan 1-00, Gearóid Hegarty 0-03, Darragh O'Donovan 0-01, Diarmaid Byrnes 0-01 (0-01 frees), Kyle Hayes 0-01, Tom Morrissey 0-01, Séamus Flanagan 0-01, Barry Nash 0-01, David Reidy 0-01.

Scorers from Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-11 (0-10 frees), Conor Lehane 2-03, Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-04, Daniel Kearney 0-03, Shane Kingston 0-03, Séamus Harnedy 0-02, Mark Coleman 0-02 (0-01 side-line), Luke Meade 0-01, Christopher Joyce 0-01, Jack O'Connor 0-01.

Limerick

1. Nicky Quaid

2. Sean Finn

3. Mike Casey

4. Richie English

5. Diarmaid Byrnes

6. Declan Hannon

7. Dan Morrissey

8. Darragh O'Donovan

9. Cian Lynch

12. Tom Morrissey

10. Gearoid Hegarty

11. Kyle Hayes

13. Aaron Gillane

14. Seamus Flanagan

15. Graeme Mulcahy

Subs:

Peter Casey for Tom Morrissey (51st minute)

Shane Dowling for Séamus Flanagan (57th minute)

Pat Ryan for Graeme Mulcahy (63rd minute)

William O'Donoghue for Darragh O'Donovan (71st minute)

Séamus Hickey for Diarmaid Byrnes (7th minute of extra-time)

Barry Nash for Aaron Gillane (15th minute of extra-time)

David Reidy for Declan Hannon (17th minute of extra-time)

Cork

1. Anthony Nash

2. Sean O'Donoghue

3. Damien Cahalane

4. Colm Spillane

5. Christopher Joyce

6. Eoin Cadogan

7. Mark Coleman

8. Bill Cooper

9. Darragh Fitzgibbon

12. Luke Meade

14. Seamus Harnedy

10. Daniel Kearney

15. Patrick Horgan

13. Shane Kingston

11. Conor Lehane

Subs:

Robbie O'Flynn for Shane Kingston (55th minute)

Mark Ellis for Daniel Kearney (60th minute)

Tim O'Mahony for Luke Meade (65th minute)

Michael Cahalane for Eoin Cadogan (71st minute)

Daniel Kearney for Michael Cahalane (full-time)

Michael Cahalane for Seamus Harnedy (7th minute of extra-time)

Shane Kingston for Darragh Fitzgibbon (8th minute of extra-time)

Jack O'Connor for Daniel Kearney (15th minute of extra-time)