Old flaws undermine Cork hurlers in Walsh and there's no room for error now

WHEN a Patrick Horgan free levelled the game at 0-16 to 1-13 after eight second-half minutes in Walsh Park, the scene was set for Cork to push for victory.

They'd been seven points down midway through the first half and the Waterford faithful were as rabid as Davy Fitzgerald's players, savouring every turnover as much as the scores. The underdogs were baring their teeth.

But that lightning period after the break, Cork outscoring the hosts 0-6 to 0-2, Shane Barrett, Mark Coleman and Darragh Fitzgibbon delivering terrific points on the move at pace, left the favourites in a strong position.

Instead, that was as good as it got.

They never got their noses in front and a nightmare period which saw Ciarán Joyce black-carded, resulting in a penalty, and Damien Cahalane red-carded, reducing Cork to 13 for a spell, ended the comeback. Joyce, normally so forceful bursting out, had been harried throughout while Cahalane, and the Cork backs in general, outside of the immense Seán O'Donoghue, were always under pressure.

DIFFERENCE

The bench press was supposed to be a difference-maker but that only yielded 0-2, a point apiece from Brian Hayes and Robbie O'Flynn, the same Patrick Curran contributed for the Déise. When you're chasing a game it's harder for your subs to slip in seamlessly.

Waterford, with a far stronger line-up than they'd had when getting relegated in the league, were never going to be bullied again on their own patch after losing to Cork in 2022.

Cork died with their boots on in the last quarter, Alan Connolly's goal as good as you'll see in the coming months, but the damage was down through that slow start.

The opening period ticked every box in terms of a poor Cork performance. It was frustrating déjà vu for the supporters in red.

They were too open down for the middle for the Jamie Barron goal. They gave scores away from misplaced puck-outs and passes from defence. Waterford were hurling with urgency and the visitors were sluggish.

The inside line was starved of quality ball while from distance some of the shooting options were poor, leading to eight first-half wides to Waterford's four. The attacking play was too unstructured and Calum and Darragh Lyons and Tadhg de Búrca hoovered up possession.

THREAT

Connolly was a menace when he got the sliotar bounced in front of him and Cork should have angled a few of their sloppy first-half wides in his direction. Waterford had their homework done though, with de Búrca, sitting off to protect the D. Pure work-rate denied Cork overlaps, or much ball, in the middle.

Barrett and Connolly were Cork's best forwards, hitting 1-5 between them and getting fouled for 0-4, but the experience of Horgan, Conor Lehane (0-1 from play) and Seamus Harnedy (0-2) didn't translate on the scoreboard. Lehane was able to get into space in the first half but three wides were costly and Horgan, while starved of ball as well, missed his two chances from play, the second of which should have been popped to Connolly for a goal chance.

It's ageist to suggest Cork are obliged to go with youth, especially when the experienced Barron, Lyons, de Búrca, Conor Prunty and Stephen Bennett, outside of some poor frees, were to the fore here. A few changes are needed though, with Shane Kingston and Declan Dalton likely to be fit for next weekend.

Pat Ryan's side still have two home to come and this was never going to be the handier opener it was billed as, but there's no room for error now. Whoever loses between Cork and Clare in the Páirc next Sunday afternoon is highly unlikely to get out of Munster.

Waterford's win means they can no longer be written off as qualifiers or potential Munster finalists. They might have only won two of their 16 round-robin games before Sunday afternoon, but they've momentum and certainly won't fear anyone from here.

For Cork, all the out doubts have resurfaced.