Cork v Waterford: Rebels get the necessary win to reach Munster final

Cork 2-25 

Waterford 1-22 

Cork are in the Munster SHC final for the first time in seven years after they prevailed against Waterford at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday.

Needing to win to set up a re-match against Limerick, the Rebels led by a point at half-time after playing against the wind and pushed ahead with a Brian Hayes goal on the restart but found Waterford difficult to shake off.

Ultimately, they managed to pull away in the closing stages before a crowd of 42,181 and will renew acquaintance with the Shannonsiders at TUS Gaelic Grounds on Saturday evening, June 7.

Leading by 0-13 to 0-12 at half-time, Cork had a great start to the second half. Midfield partners Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony turned Paddy Leavey over and linked well as they drove toward the Waterford goal before Brian Hayes was able to finish well to the net.

Patrick Horgan’s sixth pointed free of the game put Cork five in front but in the wake of that they were guilty of some poor shooting.

Waterford took advantage as four points on the trot – albeit with an off-target Shane Barrett goal effort in among them – brought them back to within one before Cork made what looked to be a decisive burst.

Settled by points from Séamus Harnedy (his third) and Horgan, they doubled their lead as an excellent clearance by the superb Ger Millerick was deftly touched by Hayes into the path of Horgan, who fired beyond Billy Nolan.

Millerick followed that by setting up Hayes for a point and stand-in captain Shane Barrett garlanded his fine all-round display with his third point.

That left it 2-18 to 0-16, but still things weren’t set in stone. A long free by Waterford goalkeeper Billy Nolan was almost spilled into the net by Mark Coleman but, while Cork got away with that, a Waterford goal was in the offing and it came courtesy of Bennett after captain Dessie Hutchinson had marked his arrival with a point.

Jack Prendergast’s point - after Bennett's shot hit the post - left a goal in it, 2-18 to 1-18, but a good point from Darragh Fitzgibbon and another from Shane Kingston after his introduction gave Cork breathing space.

That was constricted again as Bennett sent over a pair of frees, but Cork had cool heads when needed and sub Diarmuid Healy and the excellent Cormac O’Brien edged them into the comfort zone again.

Having won the toss, Waterford opted to play with the strong wind and they did have a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after Mark Fitzgerald sent over a well-worked point in the tenth minute but even then there was never a sense that they were in control of the game.

In the midst of that run, a scoring opportunity was wasted as Stephen Bennett opted to go for goal from a 20m free, Patrick Collins saving, and Cork settled as Mark Coleman pointed before Alan Connolly benefited from a good interception by Seán O’Donoghue, who excelled in that opening half.

O’Brien, making his first championship start, was also keyed in while Barrett set the tone in terms of workrate from the attack. After O’Donoghue set up Séamus Harnedy for a point, Cork were level as Darragh Fitzgibbon was fouled for Horgan to get his third free and then Barrett, from a Hayes pass, had them in front for the first time.

Seán Walsh and Mikey Kiely had good points as Waterford continued to battle and a Jamie Barron point had them 0-11 to 0-10 in front on the half-hour. Cork finished the half well, though, and a pair of Connolly points – Coleman and Brian Roche the providers – sent them in with that one-point advantage.

They had six to spare by the end, but it wasn’t always straightforward.

Scorers for Cork: P Horgan 1-8 (0-8 f), B Hayes 1-1, S Barrett, S Harnedy, A Connolly 0-3 each, D Fitzgibbon 0-2 (0-1 f), M Coleman, S Kingston, C O’Brien, C Lehane, D Healy 0-1 each.

Waterford: Stephen Bennett 1-7 (0-6 f, 0-1 sl), S Walsh, P Fitzgerald 0-3 each, J Prendergast, M Kiely 0-2 each, B Nolan (0-1 f), M Fitzgerald, D Hutchinson, J Barron, K Bennett 0-1 each.

CORK: P Collins; S O’Donoghue, G Millerick, E Downey; M Coleman, C Joyce, C O’Brien; T O’Mahony, D Fitzgibbon; B Roche, S Barrett, S Harnedy; A Connolly, B Hayes, P Horgan.

Subs: D Healy for Roche (47), L Meade for O’Mahony (60), S Kingston for Connolly (62), D Cahalane for Millerick (63, temporary), C Lehane for Horgan (70+3), T O’Connell for O’Brien (70+5).

WATERFORD: B Nolan; I Kenny, C Prunty, G Fives; M Fitzgerald, T de Búrca, K Bennett; D Lyons, P Leavey; M Kiely, J Barron, J Prendergast; S Walsh, Stephen Bennett, P Fitzgerald.

Subs: D Hutchinson for Leavey (41), K Mahony for P Fitzgerald (51), Shane Bennett for Lyons (52, injured), A Gleeson for Walsh (60).

Referee: J Murphy (Limerick).