Cork lay down marker with victory over Limerick

In what was a rehearsal for their Championship opener in just 49 days' time on Easter Sunday, Cork laid down a marker against Limerick at TUS Gaelic Grounds, running our comfortable nine-point winners in front of a healthy February crowd of 12,061 – six months after they were defeated by 20 points by their Munster rivals in last year’s All-Ireland final.

The heavy 2-19 to 1-13 defeat saw John Kiely’s men succumb to three defeats from three in the league, while the victory was Cork’s third in-a-row following wins over Clare and Offaly.

The talking point will be the two red cards in the closing stages of the opening half as both Shane Kingston and Seamus Flanagan were sent to the side-line by referee Sean Stack for what were deemed dangerous and high tackles, but it was Cork’s clinical display that saw them cruise to a 14-point half-time lead.

Kingston had scored two goals in a dominant first-half display from Kieran Kingston’s side before he was given his marching orders a minute into time added on in the half, while a minute later Flanagan followed to the side-line.

Limerick found the net, 18 minutes into the second half, and despite Cork just adding a further six points after the restart, it was the Rebels who ran out winners with nine points to spare.

Limerick – who made seven changes to the side that were defeated by Galway two weeks’ ago – never got their trademark rhythm going and were left ruing 12 wides – nine of which came in the opening 35 minutes.

The defining moment came in the 20th minute – a superb long ball in was claimed by Robbie O’Flynn was before he turned Dan Morrissey, easing past the Limerick full-back before selfishly laying off to Shane Kingston.

The Dubhglas man will score more difficult goals in his