Waterford 0-25

Cork 1-26

JOHNNY CAROLAN REPORTS 

CORK manager Ben O’Connor was once again left impressed with how his team came out on the right side of a battle as Waterford were beaten last Sunday.

Four points was the winning margin at Azzurri Walsh Park, following on from a victory of the same size away to Tipperary and two points to spare at home to Limerick.

It means that Cork are guaranteed a place in the All-Ireland series and on the verge of securing a Munster final spot – if Tipperary beat Clare on Saturday night, such an eventuality would be confirmed – and O’Connor praised the application and work ethic of his side.

‘I think the group is happy at the moment, as a whole,’ he said, ‘and I think we're working hard.

‘It isn't going to be free-flowing hurling every day. You see a different side to these lads now, that we can battle as well like, because that was a battle outside there, and I don't think it has to be free-flowing for us to win games.

‘We're able to battle out games now.’

Cork's Alan Connolly gets away from the challenge of Waterford's Mark Fitzgerald during the Munster SHC clash at Walsh Park. (Photo: George Hatchell)

With one point from their three matches, Waterford cannot now reach the Munster final and even progressing in third place would be contingent on more than a few things happening, not least having to beat Limerick, something the Déise have not done since 2011.

However, the home side presented a strong challenge, even allowing for the fact that they suffered three first-half injuries – including one for attacking talisman Stephen Bennett – and they played 20 minutes with 14 players after Cork were awarded two black-card penalties.

The second of those, a foul by Jack Fagan on Alan Connolly, came after three points on the trot had put Cork ahead for the first time in the second half, 0-23 to 0-22.

Connolly had had the earlier penalty saved by the excellent Billy Nolan and so Mark Coleman came forward from wing-back and drilled the sliotar to the net. It put Cork ahead by four points but Waterford almost responded in kind moments later – Patrick Collins had to save brilliantly to deny Déise sub Peter Hogan.

While a pair of frees from Dessie Hutchinson did leave two points in it going into injury time, Cork sub Séamus Harnedy and captain Darragh Fitzgibbon were on hand to ensure that they triumphed by four.

The first half was well-contested but scrappy at times, with Waterford’s 0-12 to 0-10 lead the only instance of one of the sides holding an advantage of more than a point.

Brian Hayes was in electric form, scoring seven points from play, and it was he who was fouled for the 33rd-minute penalty that offered the Rebels their best chance of a goal in the opening period.

Cork's Diarmuid Healy is surrounded by Waterford defenders. (Photo: George Hatchell)

In the wake of Mark Fitzgerald’s foul on Hayes, for which the defender was black-carded, Connolly had scooped the loose ball over Billy Nolan, but Seán Stack had blown his whistle – Connolly’s strike from the 20m line was kept low but Nolan did well to save.

The score was 0-12 to 0-11 at that stage. Hugh O’Connor levelled after a good interception before Hutchinson – who had earlier seen a shot saved by Collins – popped over a Waterford free and the attacker did the same after Hayes’s sixth had tied the game again.

It sent the home side in with a 0-13 to 0-12 lead and, despite the shortage in manpower, they actually extended their advantage early in the second half prior to Fitzgerald’s return. Then, after parity was restored, Cork twice went close to goals – Hayes poking a shot just wide after linking well with William Buckley while Connolly shot wide from a tight angle.

By that stage, Cork had fallen 0-18 to 0-15 behind as Waterford dealt well with having to play into the stiff breeze but a Connolly free and a huge Fitzgibbon effort brought Cork to within a point.

Waterford might have made that four but Eoin Downey made a great block on Seán Walsh and the next ten minutes saw the sides trade points as the lead oscillated between one and two.

Finally, Cork made a move as Buckley and Shane Barrett had them level. Then, after Waterford failed to make the most of a free on halfway, sub Robbie O’Flynn and the ever-industrious Tommy O’Connell combined for Connolly’s eighth.

It would be Connolly’s work that would lead to the turnover for the second penalty and that gave the four-point lead that pertained at the end.

Cork move on, with bigger prizes in their sights – but the focus remains clear, according to O’Connor.

‘There's no hype with us,’ he said.

‘The boys will enjoy that just because we're after winning a Munster championship match, but we'll be back on the field on Wednesday night and will be driving on for Clare.

‘So, there's no hype inside in our camp anyway – there might be hype someplace else out around the place, but no, we've only one thing on our mind, and that's Clare Sunday week now again.’

Scorers

Waterford: Dessie Hutchinson 0-8 (7f); Kevin Mahony, Jamie Barron, Calum Lyons 0-3 each; Seán Mackey, Stephen Bennett (2f), Seán Walsh 0-2 each. 

Cork: Alan Connolly 0-9 (6f); Brian Hayes 0-7; Darragh Fitzgibbon (1f), W Buckley 0-3 each; Mark Coleman 1-0 (penalty); Hugh O’Connor 0-2; Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: Billy Nolan; Mark Fitzgerald, Aaron O’Neill, Ian Kenny; Iarlaith Daly, Paddy Leavey, Jack Fagan; Seán Mackey, Jamie Barron; Seán Walsh, Jack Prendergast, Calum Lyons; Kevin Mahony, Stephen Bennett, Dessie Hutchinson.

Subs: Conor Keane for Kenny (20, injured), Shane Bennett for Daly (22, injured), Peter Hogan for Stephen Bennett (35+2, injured), Michael Kiely for Mahony (64), Darragh Lyons for Mackey (65).

CORK: Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Damien Cahalane, Seán O’Donoghue; Eoin Downey, Tim O’Mahony, Mark Coleman; Tommy O’Connell, Hugh O’Connor; Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes, William Buckley.

Subs: Ger Millerick for O’Donoghue (30-ht), Robbie O’Flynn for O’Connor (51), Cormac O’Brien for Downey (55), Séamus Harnedy for Healy (59), Pádraig Power for Connolly (70).

Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).