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Allianz HL D1A: Cork retain top flight status

Darragh Fitzgibbon, Cork, and Tommy Ryan, Waterford, in action at Pairc Ui Rinn.

Darragh Fitzgibbon, Cork, and Tommy Ryan, Waterford, in action at Pairc Ui Rinn.

Allianz Hurling League Division 1A relegation play/off

CORK 0-21 WATERFORD 1-13

By Denis Hurley at Pairc Ui Rinn

Cork have retained their Allianz HL Division 1A status after they prevailed against Waterford in Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts led all through this game and though a spirited Waterford response brought them to within two points in the closing stages, Cork saw out the win with late scores from Daniel Kearney (two) and Colm Spillane.

In the swirling snow, Waterford looked to have had a great start when Patrick Curran had the ball in the Cork net inside four minutes but referee John Keenan had spotted a foul and awarded Cork a free out.

The hosts picked up momentum from that and reeled off five unanswered points by the 13th minute, with Darragh Cooper, Michael Cahalane, Dean Brosnan, Bill Cooper all on target as Waterford struggled in front of goal.

Just after the quarter-hour, Waterford had a goal chance as Patrick Curran won Pauric Mahony’s delivery only to shoot wide, with Déise protests that there had been a foul. Soon after that, though, there was no doubting the foul as Colm Spillane grappled with Curran under a Stephen Bennett ball in, and a penalty was awarded. Curran stepped up to take it himself and drilled the ball low to the corner beyond Anthony Nash to reduce the deficit to just two points.

Fitzibbon replied for Cork, Mahony getting Waterford’s first point just after that and the visitors had another half-chance of a goal when Stephen Bennett’s lovely flick gave Colin Dunford a clear sight but his shot was taken from too far out to trouble Nash.

Brosnan and Cooper extended Cork’s lead further with Mahony having another free in reply for Waterford before Patrick Horgan got Cork’s first score from a dead ball in injury time.

There was still time for two Waterford scores before the half-time break though, with Jamie Barron landing a long-range effort and Mikey Kearney also on target to leave just a goal in it, 1-10 to 1-4.

Conor Lehane extended the advantage on the resumption but Mahony responded, with Tommy Ryan doing likewise after Dean Brosnan landed his third – just before that, Tom Devine tried to place Kieran Bennett for a goal chance but he couldn’t get to the ball.

Another from Fitzgibbon and two by Horgan helped Cork to pull clear, 0-16 to 1-8, and Waterford’s hopes took another blow when sub Maurice Shanahan was sent off immediately after coming on following a clash with Tim O’Mahony.

However, the numerical disparity didn’t noticeably hamper the visitors as they chipped away at the lead, with two from Stephen Bennett sandwiching one by sub Jake Dillon to leave two in it coming down the stretch. That was as close as they came, however.

Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-5 (3fs), Bill Cooper 0-4, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Dean Brosnan 0-3 each, Daniel Kearney 0-2 each, Conor Lehane, Michael Cahalane, Colm Spillane, Alan Cadogan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: Pauric Mahony 0-4 (2fs), Stephen Bennett 0-3, Patrick Curran 1-0 penalty, Tommy Ryan 0-2, Tadhg de Búrca, Jamie Barron, Jake Dillon, Mikey Kearney 0-1 each.

CORK: Anthony Nash; Seán O’Donoghue, Eoin Cadogan, Colm Spillane; Christopher Joyce, Tim O’Mahony , Mark Coleman; Darragh Fitzgibbon, Bill Cooper; Séamus Harnedy, Dean Brosnan, Conor Lehane; Alan Cadogan, Patrick Horgan, Michael Cahalane.

Subs: Luke Meade for Cahalane (46), Darren Browne for O’Mahony (57-58, blood), Daniel Kearney for Brosnan (63), Robbie O’Flynn for Alan Cadogan (70).

WATERFORD: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Kieran Bennett, Tadhg de Búrca, Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron, Colin Dunford; Pauric Mahony, Stephen Bennett, Mikey Kearney; Tom Devine , Patrick Curran, Tommy Ryan.

Subs: Conor Gleeson for Kieran Bennett (53), Maurice Shanahan for Kearney (55), Brian O’Halloran for Dunford (61), Jake Dillon for Curran (61), Michael Walsh for Ryan (66).

REFEREE: John Keenan (Wicklow).