Munster SHC: Cork edge out Waterford

Munster Senior Hurling Championship

Cork 1-26 Waterford 0-25

By Stephen Barry at Azzurri Walsh Park

Despite fielding without two defensive stalwarts, the Cork train charges forward with a third consecutive win, beating Waterford to secure their qualification for the All-Ireland series.

Brian Hayes scored seven points from play and free-taker Alan Connolly added 0-9, while both were pulled down for black-card penalties. Connolly missed one, but Mark Coleman buried the decisive 61st-minute effort at a sold-out Azzurri Walsh Park.

With their first mission complete, the Rebels can only be denied a Munster final berth by Limerick and Clare winning out and the Banner completing a significant turnaround on score difference.

Winless Waterford are not yet eliminated, but appear in grave danger of finishing last for the fifth time in seven seasons since the round-robin system was introduced.

They led until the 58th minute of a match that was level 12 times. Injuries dented their hopes as Ian Kenny, Iarlaith Daly, and, most seriously, Stephen Bennett all limped off in the first half.

Cork made one late change as Hugh O’Connor came in for his full championship debut in place of Barry Walsh, who lined out in the U20 loss to Clare on Wednesday.

There were a couple of switches from the named team as Tim O’Mahony went to centre-back. Darragh Fitzgibbon started at midfield alongside Tommy O’Connell, but soon swapped with O’Connor into the half-forwards.

Robbed of his defensive spine of Ciarán Joyce and Robert Downey, Damien Cahalane filled Cork’s full-back vacancy. He marked Stephen Bennett until Seán Walsh relocated to the edge of the square.

For Waterford, Seán Mackey and Kevin Mahony’s influence in the second-half turnaround against Tipperary were recognised with starts in place of Darragh Lyons and Shane Bennett.

The hosts won the toss and took the wind. Cork got off to a brisk start as all three of their full-forward line, Connolly, Hayes, and William Buckley, got off the mark.

Waterford got in for an early goal chance after good work by Jack Fagan. Seán Walsh broke a long ball for Dessie Hutchinson, but Patrick Collins did well to save.

After three in a row from Waterford, including a Jamie Barron brace, Hayes and O’Connor restored Cork’s lead.

No other Cork player would join those four on the scoresheet for the remainder of the half. Waterford would have eight different players find their range before the break.

The pattern of trading points continued for the rest of the first half. Calum Lyons found space as a puck-out option for three points. Stephen Bennett nailed two frees. Seán Walsh completed the set of forwards scoring for a two-point lead, their biggest yet, in the 29th minute.

All the while, Hayes was in electric form. He scored three in three minutes to take his total to 0-5. Waterford soon swapped Mark Fitzgerald across onto the Hurler of the Year nominee and handed Aaron O’Neill a different assignment.

In the 33rd minute, Hayes was wrestled to the ground by Fitzgerald under O’Connell’s dropping ball. Seán Stack took a moment before awarding the penalty and sending Fitzgerald to the line on a black card.

It was the second game in a row that Fitzgerald had conceded a penalty, and the second time in a fortnight that Billy Nolan bailed him out, diving to his left to save Connolly’s unconvincing effort.

On the counter, Stephen Bennett went over on his ankle in pain and was helped off, using his hurley as a crutch.

They shared four points from there to half-time, with Hayes, now being picked up by Paddy Leavey, slotting his sixth.

Waterford led 0-14 to 0-13 as Cork took the wind for the second half.They had doubled their lead by the time they returned to 15 men. Barron’s point ensured they won the sin-bin period by 0-5 to 0-4.

Cork missed a couple more goal chances to jump ahead. Connolly set up one point-blank opportunity for Hayes before creating one of his own. Both were fired wide of the near post.

Mahony and Mackey twice pushed Waterford three ahead. When Fitzgibbon pulled one back in the 46th minute, he was their fifth player to hit the target and the first new scorer since the 10th minute.

Eoin Downey got back to block a Seán Walsh shot at goal and Cork began to nibble into the deficit. A Fitzgibbon point was followed by a couple of Connolly frees.

After a Walsh settler, Cork struck three in a row, through Buckley, Shane Barrett, and Connolly, to edge ahead by 0-23 to 0-22.

They added a goal when Connolly was taken down by Jack Fagan, and the Waterford wing-back was sent to the sin bin. Nolan couldn’t make it a hat-trick as Coleman came forward to bury the penalty.

Patrick Collins soon had to make a flying save from Peter Hogan to keep Cork in the ascendancy.

Waterford scored three of the four points during the 10 minutes down to 14 men, all from Hutchinson frees, meaning they entered the four added minutes within two points.

Cork saw it out with Séamus Harnedy’s point followed by a Fitzgibbon free.

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

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

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

Subs: Ger Millerick for O’Donoghue (30-h-t, blood), Robbie O’Flynn for O’Connor (51), Cormac O’Brien for Downey (55, inj), Séamus Harnedy for Healy (59), Pádraig Power for Connolly (70).

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

Subs: Conor Keane for Kenny (20, inj), Shane Bennett for Daly (22, inj), Peter Hogan for Stephen Bennett (35+1, inj), Michael Kiely for Mahony (64), Darragh Lyons for Mackey (65).

Referee: Seán Stack (Dublin).