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Irish Times
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Cork have big defensive decisions to make before facing prolific Dublin
Cork will need to make a case for the defence if they are to progress to consecutive All-Ireland senior hurling finals. While Cork's attacking prowess has been well highlighted over the course of the season, their defence will be challenged on Saturday with stopping one of the most prolific goalscoring teams left in the competition. Dublin have scored 18 goals in this year's championship – and having played seven games they are averaging 2.57 goals per match. Fellow semi-finalists Kilkenny have also scored 18 goals but they amassed that in six games at an average of three goals per outing. Cork have scored 10 goals in five championship games – an average of two goals per match while Tipperary have raised 11 green flags in six games, an average of 1.8 goals per game. READ MORE The Cork defence has only managed one clean sheet in terms of shutting out goals in this year's championship – their Munster round two victory over Tipperary. But the Dublin defence has kept three clean sheets – Antrim, Galway and Limerick all failed to force a goal against the Dubs. At the other end of the field Dublin already have five players with multiple goals to their name in the championship – Seán Currie (4), Cian O'Sullivan (3), Ronan Hayes (3), John Hetherton (3) and Fergal Whitely (2). Cian O'Sullivan has scored three goals for Dublin in the championship so far. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Cork manager Pat Ryan recalls centre back Robert Downey, who is also team captain, and corner back Niall O'Leary to his starting team. Both suffered injuries during the Munster round-robin series and failed to start the provincial decider against Limerick. They are both expected to be available for selection this weekend. Séamus Harnedy has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. O'Leary had been an ever-present in the Cork defence throughout the season until he suffered a groin injury during the round-robin loss to Limerick in May. O'Leary subsequently missed Cork's win over Waterford but he did manage to come off the bench late in the Munster final victory last month. The Castlelyons man has praised the work of defensive coach Wayne Sherlock with the squad. 'We're very lucky in the group we have with the background team as well, Wayne was obviously a legend in Cork playing in the full-back line, so we're very lucky as a group to have him. 'We've learned a lot from him over the last three years and I think we've taken a lot of learnings from last year as well.' Cork's joint leading championship goalscorers are Patrick Horgan and Brian Hayes – who have both netted on three occasions. Both Cork and Dublin have scored at least one goal in all of their championship outings. Dublin's last championship win over Cork was in the 1927 All-Ireland final, but it is the lessons from last year's All-Ireland final defeat to Clare that the Rebels are looking to learn from this season. 'I know the end result didn't go our way, but I think that's a huge thing for us to get to an All-Ireland final and actually be competitive,' says O'Leary. 'This is my seventh year on the panel now, it's been a long enough seven years, not a whole pile of success in the seven years either so it's been great now the last two years to be competitive. 'I suppose the only thing we look at going forward is that we want to be remembered as a team in Cork and, to be honest with you, to be remembered you have to be winning All-Irelands.'
BBC News
21-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Limerick win 'one of the best days Dublin have had'
Dublin forward Cian O'Sullivan said their shock 2-24 to 0-28 All-Ireland quarter-final win against Limerick is "up there with one of the best days we've ever had as a group".Despite playing the majority of the game with 14 men after captain Chris Crummey's 15th-minute red card, the Dubs recorded a famous win as they reached the All-Ireland semi-finals for the first time since 2013.O'Sullivan, who scored Dublin's second goal, praised his side's dogged display in their victory."Credit to the lads, 14 men for 55 minutes what more could you ask for, never mind beating Limerick the best team down through the last 10 years," he told BBC Sport NI."Out there it felt like the final whistle couldn't have come soon enough, they got a chance towards the end and had a pop at goal, but we kept it out. We kept them at arm's length, and everyone left it out there."Dubs boss Niall O Ceallachain added that he "knew" his side were capable of causing an upset against Limerick, something they will look to do again in the last four against Cork on 5 July, which can be watched live on the BBC. "We probably felt we weren't as far off this as the outside noise thought we were," he said."There isn't the level of respect to Dublin hurling which should be given at times, but we haven't earned that so days like today are really important." Whilst it was a glorious day for Dublin, it was another disappointing afternoon for Limerick, whose Munster reign was ended by Cork earlier this boss John Kiely admitted his side simply failed to get going at Croke Park, despite their numerical advantage."I think in every department you have to say Dublin had the edge on us, they were just sharper on the breaking ball, better on their own restarts, better on our restarts and better in front of goal," he admitted. "Everything was sticking and there's no reason I can put my finger on; you have to say hats off to Dublin they played very well and deserved to win the match."For us it's disappointing our season ends like this, but we have to accept this, we were beaten by a better team."
Irish Times
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Inspired 14-man Dublin beat Limerick in remarkable championship shock
All-Ireland SHC quarter-final: Dublin 2-24 Limerick 0-28 Fourteen-man Dublin have shocked Limerick with a historic two-point victory to deny the Treaty men a place in the All-Ireland semi-final for the first time since 2019. Niall Ó Ceallacháin's charges, who last reached the All-Ireland semi-final back in 2013, took full advantage of a lacklustre Limerick performance with second half goals from Cian O'Sullivan and substitute John Hetherton proving the difference for the Dubs. John Kiely's Limerick side, looking to bounce back after their heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Cork in the Munster final, never got to the heights hit by this record-breaking side in recent years and trailed by three points at halftime before Dublin held on for the remarkable win, despite a late Limerick resurgence. The game was the first Championship meeting between the two counties in 10 years with just Nickie Quaid and Cian Lynch surviving the starting 15 from Limerick's one-point defeat to Dublin in that All-Ireland qualifier at Semple Stadium on July 11th, 2015. READ MORE Dublin add a second goal inside a minute, with Cian O'Sullivan finding the back of the net. 📺 📱 Updates - — The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) A decade later a much-changed Limerick side were again left shocked by a determined Dublin side full of passion and belief. Limerick had named an unchanged side to the team that lost on penalties to Cork in TUS Gaelic Grounds two weeks previously, while Dublin made two changes to the starting 15 that overcame Kildare in their All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final a week ago with Andy Dunphy and Conor Burke coming in for Paddy Dunleavy and John Hetherton. Both sides were level seven times in the opening half minutes with Ó Ceallacháin's Dublin team showing huge character and determination after being reduced to 14 men when captain Chris Crummey saw red after just 15 minutes. Limerick, showing real signs of a hangover from their penalty defeat to Cork two weeks' previously, struggled against a strong breeze in the opening 35 minutes with Seán Currie and Conor Burke starring for the Dubs with eight of their side's return of 0-15. After Limerick opened up a three-point lead just shy of the 11th minute mark, a superb score from the impressive Seán Currie quickly brought it back to a two-point game. However, when Dublin were reduced to 14 three minutes later when Chris Crummey saw red for a heavy tackle on Gearóid Hegarty, even the most optimistic of Dublin supporters in Croke Park would have given their side the slightest of chances against a team of Limerick's magnitude. Boosted by a vocal home support Dublin grew into the game and grew in belief as the half went on as four Currie points without response had the sides level again by the 19th minute, despite the numerical disadvantage. Despite being a man down, Dublin scored 10 of the next 13 scores during a period when Limerick went 10 minutes without a score. A purple patch for Limerick just before the break which saw Tom Morrissey and Cian Lynch and reduce Dublin's winning margin to three – 0-15 to 0-12 – but it looked worrying times for Kiely's charges. Limerick's David Reidy and Conor Burke of Dublin. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho After the restart, Dublin showed no signs of losing belief and points from eventual man of the match Conor Burke – who also picked up the man of the match award in Dublin's quarter-final defeat to Cork in last year's Championship – and Ronan Hayes eased the men in blue into an early second half five-point lead. When Adam English slotted over in the 51st minute to make it 0-19 to 0-18 in favour of Limerick it was the first time the Munster side led since the 24th minute. However, two quick-fire goals from Cian O'Sullivan and John Hetherton, who was only on the field for 17 minutes when he blasted to the net from a tight angle, beating Nickie Quaid at his front post, again made it a five-point game. The momentum was certainly with Dublin now, Limerick narrowed the deficit to three minutes later, and with the momentum swinging in the visitor's favour the inevitable looked likely. Dublin had other ideas, however, and a superb save from Seán Brennan to deny Aaron Gillane a certain goal gave the Dubs a real belief the game was theirs to lose. Limerick again brought it back to a one-point game with five minutes to go but points from Brian Hayes, and two Currie frees put four between the sides as time added on fast approached. As Limerick went in search of that all-important goal, Dublin continued to put bodies on the line and when the resilient Dubs' defence blocked Diarmaid Byrnes' drilled effort on goal, a Treaty men comeback seemed unlikely. Peter Casey and Adam English gave Kiely's men a fighting chance with two late points, but it was too little late for the Shannonsiders as Dublin held on for a historic two-point win. Dublin: Seán Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paddy Doyle, Chris Crummey (capt) (0-1), Andy Dunphy; Conor Burke (0-5), Brian Hayes (0-2); Riain McBride (0-2), Fergal Whitley (0-1); Cian O'Sullivan (1-1); Seán Currie (0-9, four frees), Ronan Hayes (0-3) Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing Subs: John Hetherton (1-0) for Ó Dúlaing (half time), Darragh Power for Whitley (52 minutes), Donal Burke for McBride (64), Colin Currie for Hayes (69), David Lucey for McHugh (70 + 5) Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Mike Casey; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash (0-1); Adam English (0-5), William O'Donoghue, Gearóid Hegarty (0-4), Cian Lynch (capt) (0-2), Tom Morrissey (0-2), Aaron Gillane (0-9, six frees, one '65), Aidan O'Connor (0-3), David Reidy Subs: Cathal O'Neill (0-1) for Tom Morrissey, Barry Murphy for Mike Casey (both half time), Declan Hannon for Nash (50 minutes), Peter Casey (0-1) for O'Donoghue (58), Shane O'Brien for O'Connor (64) Referee: Liam Gordon (Galway)
BreakingNews.ie
21-06-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Dublin shock Limerick in All-Ireland quarter-finals
Dublin have caused the shock of the hurling championship as they defeated Limerick 2-24 to 0-28 in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Dublin started strong, with Seán Currie, Conor Burke and Ronan Hayes leading the charge, as they never gave Limerick a bit of space in Croke Park. Advertisement Despite a bright start to the game, Dublin were dealt a huge blow when Chris Crummey was sent off for an elbow strike on Limerick forward Gearoid Hegarty, with Limerick leading by two points at the time. However, they responded well and took a deserved 0-15 to 0-12 lead into the interval. Wides early in the second half cost Dublin, as Limerick were able to draw level in the 50th minute at 0-18 each. Adam English put Limerick ahead after four unanswered points, as they looked to take control of the game. However, Dublin were not finished, as two quick fire goals John Hetherton and Cian O'Sullivan turned the game around completley. Dublin lead by three points with 10 minutes to go, as the atmosphere and hope grew they were going to casue the shock of the summer. While Limerick were able to get it back to one point, points from John Bellew and Currie made the fans believe the win was on the cards. After some heroic defending in the final moments, Dublin sealed the win in a historic day for Dublin hurling.
