Waterford 1-19 Cork 2-22
Cork have blown the Munster Championship wide open after scoring a rousing victory over Waterford at Walsh Park.
Needing a victory to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages alive, Cork overturned their comprehensive defeat at the hands of the same opposition in last month’s League final to give themselves a real chance of progression as they travel to play Tipperary, who retain an outside chance of going through, next weekend.
It’s real backs to the wall stuff now for Waterford, fancied as Limerick’s biggest challengers pre-Championship, who realistically need a victory against Clare in Ennis to stay in the Championship - and even that may not be enough as a result of this setback.
Waterford made a flying start, moving into a four-point lead by the 14th minute as their speed and movement caused the Cork rearguard numerous problems, with four of their first six points coming from Stephen Bennett frees for a 0-6 to 0-2 advantage. Patrick Horgan hit both of Cork’s points from frees to take the all-time Championship scoring record from Galway’s Joe Canning.
Backed by the breeze, Cork were making little headway up front but a point from distance from captain Mark Coleman ignited their challenge and a run of 1-4 without reply as they shot into the lead.
The goal came after goalkeeper Patrick Collins had contributed a massive point from play, as Darragh Fitzgibbon sallied upfield and released Robbie O’Flynn whose shot was saved by Shaun O’Brien though Alan Connolly was on hand to finish the rebound in the 22nd minute.
Waterford’s response was emphatic. After Jack Prendergast ended their nine-minute scoring lapse, Michael Kiely scored their opening goal in similar circumstances to Cork’s after Collins saved Patrick Curran’s initial effort and a string of points saw Waterford’s four-point lead restored at 1-10 to 1-6.
Again, Cork summoned a response approaching half-time, with Fitzgibbon to the fore as they outscored Waterford 0-6 to 0-1 to retire with a 1-12 to 1-11 lead at the break.
They carried that momentum into the second half in which they were never led as Waterford lost their way badly.
With Seamus Harnedy’s influence becoming increasingly prevalent - he finished with 0-5 - Cork bossed proceedings and Connolly’s second goal after an improvised flick to him from Shane Kingston put them four points in front in the 52nd minute.
The Waterford attack was stuttering badly as they spilled 11 second half wides and they never got closer than three points coming down the stretch. Their cause was made doubly difficult when Austin Gleeson was dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 63rd minute.
Cork thundered home from there, hitting the last three points through Conor Lehane (two, one free) and, typically, Harnedy to round off a well-deserved victory.
WATERFORD: Shaun O’Brien; Shane McNulty, Conor Prunty, Conor Gleeson; Calum Lyons, Tadhg de Burca, Jack Fagan; Jamie Barron, Carthach Daly; Jack Prendergast (0-1), Patrick Curran (0-3, 0-1f), Austin Gleeson (0-4, 0-1f); Dessie Hutchinson, Stephen Bennett (0-7, 0-6f), Michael Kiely (1-0).
Subs: Peter Hogan (0-1) for Daly (HT), Darragh Lyons for Barron (46), Neil Montgomery (0-2) for Kiely (46), Shane Bennett (0-1) for Bennett (65), Colin Dunford for Curran (69).
CORK: Patrick Collins (0-1); Robert Downey, Damien Cahalane, Sean O’Donoghue; Niall O’Leary, Ciaran Joyce, Mark Coleman (0-2); Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-2), Luke Meade (0-1); Robbie O’Flynn, Seamus Harnedy (0-5), Shane Barrett; Alan Connolly (2-0), Patrick Horgan (0-4f), Conor Lehane (0-5, 0-2f).
Subs: Shane Kingston (0-2) for Barrett (29), Tim O’Mahony for Horgan (40), Conor Cahalane for O’Flynn (63), Tommy O’Connell for Meade (69), Brian Roche for Lehane (70+4).
REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford).
