Cork powered to a 2-15 to 2-7 quarter-final victory over Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds tonight.
The win sets up a mouth-watering clash with Kerry - comfortable victors over Clare - on May 13th, while Limerick join the Banner County and Waterford in the play-offs.
The visitors led by seven points at the interval, 2-9 to 2-2, with some lovely football played during the course of an entertaining opening half hour.
Thanks to 1-3 from corner forward Stephen Sherlock, the winners led by five points at the end of the first quarter - 1-6 to 1-1.
The Rebels got off to a flying start with three points inside the opening four minutes courtesy of Stephen Leonard and Sherlock (2). But they were rocked in their boots when Mark Connolly opened the hosts' account with a sixth-minute goal before Andrew White's free edged the Treaty County in front.
Eoin O'Brien tied the scores up and Sherlock's third score of the night had the Leesiders back in front by the eleventh minute, 0-5 to 1-1. Donal O'Sullivan's charges assumed a tight grip on proceedings three minute later when the No.15 dispatched a penalty to the net, which was quickly followed by a Conor Hughes point.
The game was slipping away from Limerick as Sherlock added another brace in the 19th and 20th minutes but full forward Connolly's second major seven minutes from the interval brought the underdogs right back into the equation: 1-8 to 2-1.
Back came the Rebels with a David Lowney goal before White (free) and influential midfielder Daniel O'Duinnin traded the last two scores of an enjoyable opening period.
Leonard and White swapped frees upon the restart and the Rebels hit three in a row through Leonard (2) and Gary Murphy before White's fourth free provided the hosts' fourth point. When Murphy split the posts again 13 minutes from time, the gap was ten: 2-14 to 2-4.
Paul Maher pulled back a Limerick point but Lowney replied before Diarmuid Kelly and James Ryan (free) slotted another couple of consolation scores.
Cork - C Kelly; N Walsh, T O'Connell, C Dennehy; S Powter, R Walsh, K Dwyer; D O'Duinin (0-1), E O'Brien (0-1); D Lowney (1-1), G Murphy (0-2), C Hughes (0-1); S McEvoy, S Leonard (0-4, 2f), S Sherlock (1-5, 1-0pen, 0-2f). Subs: S Madigan for T O'Connell, R Fowley for C Hughes, C O'Rourke for D O'Duinin, S Lucey for C Dennehy, S O'Neill for S Sherlock, S O'Driscoll for G Murphy.
Limerick - A Murphy; D Hanley, L O'Connell, F Murphy; J Wallace, S Ivess, S Murphy; A Kerins, M Whelan; A White (0-4f), M Morrissey, E Sheehy; D Kelly (0-1), M Connolly (2-0), J Ryan (0-1). Subs: A Storan for M Morrissey, P Maher (0-1) for E Sheehy, R Hayes for A White, G Brennan for F Murphy, D Corrigan for D Kelly, C Stephenson for J Wallace.
Referee - S Lonergan.
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