Cork ended Limerick's run to an unprecedented seven-in-a-row Munster Hurling Championship title.Getty Images

An epic back-and-forth between Cork and Limerick has been lauded as "one of the best games ever played."

Cork ended Limerick’s bid for a record seventh Munster senior hurling title in a row on a night of drama at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

For the first time in the history of the championship, a provincial final was decided on penalties after extra-time couldn’t separate the two teams short-listed for this year’s All-Ireland.

In the end, Cork won the shoot-out 3-2 with Alan Connolly firing the last penalty to ensure his team lifted the Mick Mackey Cup and won the province for the first time since 2018.

It represents a remarkable turnaround for a team beaten by Limerick by 16 points in the group stage of the province only three weeks ago.

After that resounding defeat, the odds for the All-Ireland were flipped with Limerick being installed as favourites for the Liam MacCarthy Cup and for a seventh Munster title in success – which would have been unprecedented.

But they will now have to lick their wounds and prepare for an All-Ireland quarter-final after finally being deposed in Munster.

Cork meanwhile, march on to an All-Ireland semi-final.

"We let a lot of people down three weeks ago," admitted Alan Connolly, who pointed to the sea of red and white below him as he spoke after the trophy presentation, praising the huge Cork support: "They’ll follow us to the end."

As to whether he was feeling the pressure as he stepped up as the fourth Cork penalty taker, he played down the stakes.

"We just said, whatever happens, happens. We’re after getting this far."

And when Declan Hannon missed after him, his strike proved to be the clinching one.

Read more

Cork midfielder Darragh Fitzgibbon was another who showed he had ice in his veins. At the very end of extra time, he needed to convert a 65 to force penalties after an Aaron Gillane-inspired Limerick had come from a point down with just a couple of minutes to go to lead by one.

But Fitzgibbon was equal to the task, having taken over deadball duties from Patrick Horgan. And while he took the first Cork penalty and saw it saved, he tried to make sense of it all afterwards.

"It had everything really," he said, speaking to RTE Sport. "Two very good teams going at it. I’d say if we played that game 10 times over, it would be a different result every time. We’re just really happy and grateful and delighted to be on the right side of it."

It was a hugely intense and physical affair where the players put their bodies on the line from start to finish. Referee Thomas Walsh allowed plenty go and while the Cork management were upset at half-time over various calls and approached him – which prompted Limerick to do the same – the action stayed fast and furious until the end of regulation time and beyond.

It was so frenetic that even the referee had to be replaced after going down with cramp with James Owens deputising in extra time.

"I don’t think people realise how fast it is at home and how high it is of a level," added Fitzgibbon. "That’s credit to Limerick as well, they’ve brought the game to another level. They’ve raised everyone else’s preparation and training to try and get to their level. And they’ve raised our training and preparation to get to their level.

"You can have nothing but respect for them and I’m sure they’ll knuckle down and they’ll be back."

He insisted they won’t lose the run of themselves after this.

"You just can’t get too up or too down. The talk after the league final was a bit crazy. But us, in our camp, we didn’t get too up or too down. The talk after we lost a few weeks ago was a bit negative but we didn’t let it affect us.

"We know after today’s result the talk will probably get crazy again. But look, we know that we need to knuckle down. We’ve got two huge games to get to where we want to get to. And we’ll prepare accordingly."

*This article was originally published on Extra.ie.