Jack O'Brien in as Cork minors make one change for Waterford clash

THERE is just one change on the Cork minor team to face Waterford in Thursday night’s Electric Ireland Munster MHC clash at Fraher Field in Dungarvan (7pm).

John Meyler’s Cork side have had a break of a fortnight since beating Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on April 11 and the management have only altered things slightly. Jack O’Brien of Douglas, who impressed as a sub in the opening-round defeat to Tipperary before missing Limerick game due to injury, comes into the side at midfield alongside Jack Hegarty of Ballinora, with Oisín O’Connell the player to drop to the bench.

There are some changes among the substitutes, with Lisgoold’s Colm Garde and Newtownshandrum’s Liam O’Mahony added to the panel.

Victory would Cork would leave them in a good position to reach the Munster final, with Clare the opponents for the last round-robin game, which takes place at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Thursday, May 9.

The Banner County were in action last Thursday night, with a 0-15 to 0-9 win over Limerick putting them level with Tipperary at the top of the table on four points. The pair meet at FBD Semple Stadium at the same time as Waterford and Cork.

However, while Waterford come into the match in Dungarvan on the back of defeats to Clare and Tipp, they still have much to play for.

The Déise showed good resilience in reducing a 13-point deficit against Tipp down to three in the closing stages before losing by five, with some poor wides costly. Due to the set-up of the competition, though, the side managed by James O’Connor – who has had involvement in Cork with Carrigtwohill, Fr O’Neills and Midleton – can kick-start their campaign with a victory.

Though finishing in the top two in Munster and reaching the provincial final may be beyond Waterford, only the side finishing bottom of the five-team Munster group will be eliminated. The teams in third and fourth after the end of the league stage will progress to All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals on May 25 against the beaten Leinster semi-finalists.

The two winners from that stage will then clash with the losing provincial finalists in the quarter-finals proper on June 1, leaving two counties to join the Munster and Leinster winners in the All-Ireland semi-finals. The last-four ties will take place on the weekend of June 15/16 – meaning the provincial winners will have four weeks of inactivity – before the final on June 29/30.

CORK (MHC v Waterford): Josh Goulding (Glen Rovers); Cian Denis O’Connor (Millstreet), Rian O’Riordan (Blackrock), Liam Kelleher (Douglas, captain); Kevin Beechinor (Éire Óg), Conor Noonan (Kanturk), John Murphy (Mallow); Jack O’Brien (Douglas), Jack Hegarty (Ballinora); Leo Hennessy (Ballymartle), Mark O’Brien (Douglas), Luke Murphy (Barryroe); Adam Lee (Cloyne), Joe Twohig (Valley Rovers), Michael Tadhg Brosnan (Glen Rovers). Subs: Adam Lee (Carrigtwohill), David Enright (Inniscarra), Colm Garde (Lisgoold), Dean Cosgrave (Courcey Rovers), Oisín O’Connell (Carrigaline), Cormac Deane (Killeagh), Conor O’Donoghue (St Finbarr’s), Peter Barrett (Midleton), Liam O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum).