Cork v Wexford: Cormac Beausang's late goal earns semi-final spot

Cork 2-14 Wexford 0-18

Second-half goals from Pádraig Power and Cormac Beausang gave Cork a fourth straight Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A, ensuring qualification for the semi-finals with a game to spare.

However, in Sunday’s game against Wexford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the Rebels were second-best for long periods and the visitors will rue the failure to put the game to bed. With four minutes of normal time left, Wexford led by 0-17 to 1-12 when their sub Jack O’Connor had a goal chance saved by Patrick Collins, with Lee Chin putting the resultant 65 wide.

Cork levelled through Shane Barrett – set up by the returning Séamus Harnedy – and Jack O’Connor, who had been introduced as a sub like his Wexford namesake.

In the 72nd minute, a free from deep by Collins broke in the Wexford goalmouth and Beausang, another used from the bench, poked the ball home. While Wexford pressed for a late equalising goal, they could only find a Conor Hearne point and though Cork finished with 14 after O’Connor was sent off, they held on.

With Clare having lost at home to Galway earlier in the day, Cork are now assured of a place in the top two regardless of what happens when they go to Ennis next Sunday.

However, with Wexford coming into this game on the back of a six-goal mauling by Clare, any expectations that Cork would have it easy were soon extinguished. The hosts were slow to get going and failed to score in the opening 20 minutes, a period where Wexford had six points, a tally that could have been grateful but for some wayward shooting, both wide and into the hands of goalkeeper Patrick Collins.

Wexford might have even had an early goal as Conor Hearne and Cathal Dunbar combined to set up Liam Óg McGovern in the eighth minute but, under pressure from Eoin Downey, he shot into the side-netting.

Despite that let-off, Cork were being turned over too often in defence and the attack, starved of possession, couldn’t do much even when the ball did arrive.

Lee Chin, a late addition to the Wexford team, had their first two points while Conor McDonald was also on target. And, even when McDonald was forced off injured, his replacement Mikie Dwyer also got in on the act. It was a Dwyer turnover on Downey that led to Rory Higgins making it 0-6 to 0-0 before Shane Kingston got Cork off the mark with a close-range free.

That was followed by another and Shane Barrett’s point had it 0-6 to 0-3 but Wexford continued to hold their own. Charlie McGuckin almost got in for a goal chance after a Cork defensive mix-up – Barrett doing well to avert the danger – and while Cork twice reduced the gap to two points in the closing stages of the first half, Wexford finished well as half-time approached.

When Hearne’s pass gave McGovern sight of goal, a Ciarán Joyce foul ensured that nothing worse than a Chin point resulted and in injury time, after yet another dispossession of Cork, McGovern provided the pass for Charlie McGuckin to make it 0-10 to 0-6.

The pattern of the game didn’t change dramatically after the break, either. Chin’s fifth opened the second-half scoring and, while Cork responded with a fine point as Patrick Collins picked out Tommy O’Connell with a pass at midfield and then put the ball into the hand of Pádraig Power, who knocked it over, Wexford pushed on. After Chin landed a massive free, he then provided a pass for corner-back Simon Donohoe to get his second of the game and it was 0-13 to 0-7 with 25 minutes left. Cork were about to summon some hope, though.

After Conor Cahalane tested goalkeeper James Lawlor with a shot from a narrow angle, Cork had the ball in the net. There was an element of fortune as, following Ciarán Joyce’s pass, Barrett looking to be going for a point but his effort dropped short – however, his Blarney clubmate Power was on hand to get his hurley to the ball and poke it past Lawlor.

With Cork scoring three of the next four points, the lead was down to the minimum, 0-14 to 1-10, by the 53rd minute only for Chin and Dwyer to give Wexford a cushion once more.

Two Kingston frees left it a one-point game again before an excellent Chin point – his ninth – after Cork were again punished for over-elaboration in defence.

When Wexford’s Jack O’Connor intercepted a loose pass with Collins off his line in anticipation of a pass, it looked like that would be that, but the keeper saved and Cork were able to bounce back.

Scorers for Cork: S Kingston 0-8 (0-7 f), P Power 1-1, S Barrett 0-3, C Beausang 1-0, B Hayes, J O’Connor 0-1 each.

Wexford: L Chin 0-9 (0-5 f), S Donohoe, M Dwyer, R Higgins 0-2, C McGuckin, C Hearne, C McDonald 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; E Roche, E Downey, N O’Leary; E Twomey, C Joyce, T O’Connell; B Roche, L Meade; D Dalton, C Cahalane, S Barrett; B Hayes, P Power, S Kingston.

Subs: S Harnedy for Dalton, J O’Connor for Hayes (both 46), R Downey for Meade (48), C Beausang for Twomey (66), A Cadogan for Power (70).

WEXFORD: J Lawlor; S Reck, S Donohoe, M O’Hanlon; I Carty, D Reck, C Flood; D O’Keeffe, C Dunbar; C Hearne, L Óg McGovern, C McGuckin; R Higgins, C McDonald, L Chin.

Subs: M Dwyer for McDonald (14, injured), K Foley for D Reck (33, injured), J O’Connor for McGovern (44), R O’Connor for Higgins (53), D Clarke for O’Hanlon (56, injured).

Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny).