114 years & counting for battling Limerick; MUNSTER FOOTBALL FINAL.

Byline: PAT NOLAN 

Cork 2-6 Limerick 0-11

HISTORY passed Limerick by at Pairc Ui Chaoimh yesterday as the wait for a Munster title moves into a 114th year.

The Cork slang for good fortune is to be 'haunted', and no doubt they were just that yesterday.

Limerick will be haunted in the more conventional use of the word for a long time to come though having played the better football for most of the game in commanding a position of strength well into the second half.

They were immense in the first half and retired with a 0-8 to 1-2 lead, a fortunate Donncha O'Connor penalty keeping Cork in touch.

The lead stretched to four points early in the second half and though Limerick's intensity understandably dropped a couple of notches, Cork struggled to take advantage and went scoreless for 37 minutes either side of half-time.

The pace and fluency that set them apart as All-Ireland contenders against Kerry was nowhere to be seen but they found something, aided by a brilliantly taken Daniel Goulding goal, and just in time to hold Limerick off.

It was understandable that Cork's performance levels would dip from the Kerry games, but the extent to which it did was alarming and will be a source of concern for Conor Counihan (below).

One of standout aspects of Cork's previous displays was the speed at which they broke from defence, with John Miskella and Anthony Lynch particularly impressive in that regard.

However both men were withdrawn from the starting line-up through injury before the throw-in, though nobody suspected at that stage that it left the door ajar for Limerick.

It was clear from the off that they were up for it, with Cork struggling to deal with the physicality they brought to the game as Limerick lorded the 50-50 exchanges.

The full-back line of Johnny McCarthy, Shane Gallagher and Mark O'Riordan was well on top and centre-back Stephen Lucey stuck like a leech to Pearse O'Neill, whose rampaging runs were also marked absent.

Ian Ryan showcased why he is one of the most exciting emerging talents in Gaelic football with four points from play in the first half from centre-forward on no less a man than Graham Canty.

Ger Spillane was eventually shifted on to him though Ryan's influence on the game decreased significantly in the second half when Limerick's possession percentage dropped considerably.

In the 52nd minute the game turned on it's head as Canty, who increasingly dictated matters for Cork in the second half, lobbed a dangerous ball into the square which sub Colm O'Neill broke in Goulding's direction.

It wasn't a straightforward goal opportunity but his snappy left-footed finish gave Kiely no chance and Cork were level.

Yet another Goulding point put Cork in front shortly afterwards and though Stephen Lavin levelled , the momentum was now against them. O'Neill and O'Connor made it a two-point cushion and Stephen Kelly's late point wasn't enough. CORK: A Quirke; K O'Connor, M Shields, R Carey; G Spillane, G Canty, B O'Regan; A O'Connor, N Murphy; P Kerrigan, P O'Neill, P Kelly; D Goulding (1-3), J Masters (0-1), D O'Connor (1-1, 1pen, 0-1f). Subs: P Kissane for O'Regan (27), C O'Neill (0-1) for Masters (50), A Walsh for Spillane (59), P O'Flynn for Kerrigan (62), F Goold for A O'Connor (63).

LIMERICK: S Kiely; J McCarthy, M O'Riordan, S Gallagher; S Lavin (0-1), S Lucey, P Ranahan (0-1); J O'Donovan, J Galvin; P Browne, I Ryan (0-4), S Buckley (0-3); G Collins (0-1), C Joyce-Power, S Kelly (0-1). Subs: K O'Callaghan for Joyce-Power (34), J Stoles for O'Callaghan (55), A Lane for Gallagher (63), E Hogan for Browne (65).

REFEREE: R Hickey (Clare).

CAPTION(S):

STRETCH Cork's Donncha O'Connor and Padraig Browne of Limerick clash