Waterford v Cork: Rebels battle well to claim third win
Cork's Brian Hayes tries to get away from Paddy Leavey of Waterford during Saturday's Munster SHC clash at Azzurri Walsh Park. Picture: Inpho
Cork are on the verge of another Munster SHC final appearance following a hard-fought win over Waterford at Azzurri Walsh Park on Saturday evening.
With six points on the board, the only way that the Rebels won’t be in the decider is if both Clare and Limerick win their remaining games – including the Banner’s trip to Cork – and do enough to edge the Rebels out on scoring difference.
Ben O’Connor’s side had no shortage of totemic displays, not least Tim O’Mahony as he slotted in at centre-back and the seven-point haul of Brian Hayes, while captain Darragh Fitzgibbon, Niall O'Leary and Mark Coleman were central as Cork battled to put themselves on top in the second half.
For Waterford, the result means elimination before their trip to Limerick and they will rue a trio of first-half injuries as they lost Ian Kenny, Iarlaith Daly and Stephen Bennett.
Nevertheless, they held the lead until midway through the second half, when Cork finally hit the front again as they hit three on the trot.
Seán O’Donoghue picked up a loose Waterford delivery and fed William Buckley for his third; then O’Mahony feinted to shoot from a long-range free but landed the ball on Hayes, who assisted Shane Barrett to level.
There was a chance for Waterford to go back in front with a free from halfway – Hutchinson left it to Shane Bannett, who sent a short ground stroke to Nolan after he had made a burst from goal, but the wind held it up and Robbie O’Flynn’s nice pass to Tommy O’Connell on the run led to Connolly’s eighth.
It was the Blackrock man who was central to the next score too as he forced a turnover and drove towards goal – an illegal challenge led to Cork’s second penalty of the game, Jack Fagan black-carded. Connolly had missed the first and this time, Coleman came forward to take it and gave Nolan no chance.
The goal put Cork four ahead; Hutchinson replied and then sub Peter Hogan might have levelled but Patrick Collins – who had earlier denied Hutchinson – saved brilliantly and Connolly gave breathing space again with another free.
Two Hutchinson frees left two in it as injury dawned but sub Séamus Harnedy and Fitzgibbon (free) secured the win and guaranteed Cork an All-Ireland quarter-final at worst.
The first half was well-contested but scrappy at times, with Waterford’s 0-12 to 0-10 lead the only instance of one of the sides holding an advantage of more than a point.
Brian Hayes was in electric form, scoring six points from play, and it was he who was fouled for the 33rd-minute penalty that offered the Rebels their best chance of a goal in the opening period.
In the wake of Mark Fitzgerald’s foul on Hayes, for which the defender was black-carded, Connolly had scooped the loose ball over Billy Nolan but Seán Stack had blown his whistle – Connolly’s strike from the 20m line was kept low but Nolan did well to save.
The score was 0-12 to 0-11 at that stage – Hugh O’Connor levelled after a good interception before Dessie Hutchinson popped over a Waterford free and the attacker did the same after Hayes’s sixth had tied the game again.
It sent the home side in with a 0-13 to 0-12 lead and, despite the shortage in manpower, they actually extended their advantage early in the second half prior to Fitzgerald’s return. Then, after parity was restored, Cork twice went close to goals – Hayes poking a shot just wide after linking well with Buckley while Connolly shot wide from a tight angle.
By that stage, Cork had fallen 0-18 to 0-15 behind as Waterford dealt well with having to play into the stiff breeze but a Connolly free and a huge Fitzgibbon effort brought Cork to within a point.
Waterford might have made that four but Eoin Downey and Mark Coleman combined to deny Seán Walsh and the next ten minutes saw the sides trade points as the lead oscillated between one and two.
D Hutchinson 0-8 (0-7 f), K Mahony, J Barron, C Lyons 0-3 each, S Mackey, Stephen Bennett (f), S Walsh 0-2 each.
A Connolly 0-9 (0-6 f), B Hayes 0-7, D Fitzgibbon (0-1 f), W Buckley 0-3 each, M Coleman 1-0 pen, H O’Connor 0-2, S Barrett, S Harnedy 0-1 each.
B Nolan; M Fitzgerald, A O’Neill, I Kenny; I Daly, P Leavey, J Fagan; S Mackey, J Barron; S Walsh, J Prendergast, C Lyons; K Mahony, Stephen Bennett, D Hutchinson.
C Keane for Kenny (20, injured), Shane Bennett for Daly (22, injured), P Hogan for Stephen Bennett (35+2, injured), M Kiely for Mahony (64), D Lyons for Mackey (65).
P Collins; N O’Leary, D Cahalane, S O’Donoghue; E Downey, T O’Mahony, M Coleman; T O’Connell, H O’Connor; D Healy, S Barrett, D Fitzgibbon; A Connolly, B Hayes, W Buckley.
G Millerick for O’Donoghue (30-ht), R O’Flynn for O’Connor (51), C O’Brien for Downey (55), S Harnedy for Healy (59), P Power for Connolly (70).
S Stack (Dublin).
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