Three quick goals put Cork out of sight early against Limerick

Rebels book Munster final date with Kerry after 21-point rout at Páirc Uí Rinn

Cork’s Brian Hurley is challenged by  Seán O’Dea of Limerick during the Munster SFC semi-final at Páirc Uí Rinn.  Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Cork’s Brian Hurley is challenged by Seán O’Dea of Limerick during the Munster SFC semi-final at Páirc Uí Rinn. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Cork 3-18 Limerick 0-6

Cork experienced little difficulty in dismissing a weak Limerick challenge to reach another Munster football final at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday.

They stunned the visitors by scoring three goals inside the opening 12 minutes after Limerick almost grabbed a sensational goal themselves from the throw-in.

Tommie Childs picked out Seán McSweeney, whose shot hit the post, rebounded off the body of goalkeeper Mark White and onto the crossbar before Cork scrambled the ball clear.

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Brian Hurley grabbed the first of his pair of goals in the fourth minute following a Ruairí Deane pass and the duo also linked for the second goal 90 seconds later.

Limerick were shellshocked by Cork’s third goal in the 13th minute, when Deane soloed through to make it 3-4 to 0-0.

And it could have been even worse for Limerick because an upright denied Hurley a hat-trick from a penalty just before the interval.

At 3-8 to 0-2 ahead, Cork simply went through the motions in the second half as both sides emptied their benches.

CORK: M White; N Walsh, J Loughrey, K Flahive; L O'Donovan, T Clancy, M Taylor (0-2); I Maguire (capt; 0-1), K O'Hanlon; E McSweeney (0-3), R Deane (1-0), J O'Rourke (0-1); P Kerrigan (0-1), B Hurley (2-0), M Collins (0-9, five frees).

Subs: A Browne for Loughrey (39 mins), S Sherlock (0-1) for Hurley (inj, 45), L Connolly for O'Rourke (46), K O'Driscoll for Deane (51), K O'Donovan for Clancy (57), R O'Toole for Maguire (60)

LIMERICK: D O'Sullivan (0-3, two 45s, one free); B Fanning, S O'Dea, P Maher; C McSweeney, I Corbett, G Brown; D Treacy, T Childs; A Enright, C Fahy, M Fitzgibbon; S McSweeney, S O'Carroll (0-2), J Lee (0-1, free).

Subs: J Naughton for S McSweeney, T McCarthy for Brown and P Nash for Enright (all h/t), P de Brun for Fahy (45 mins), G Noonan for C McSweeney (55), R Lynch for Fitzgibbon (56).

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare)