Cork 2-25
Waterford 1-22
JOHNNY CAROLAN REPORTS
WHILE it was not a sparkling display, Cork did enough to get the better of Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, setting up a rematch with Limerick in the Munster SHC final.
A week after losing by 16 points against the Shannonsiders, Cork had six to spare here after leading by a point at half time, having played against the wind in the first half.
There is still quite a bit of room for improvement, but manager Pat Ryan was pleased to see an improvement in baseline demands since the loss at TUS Gaelic Grounds.
‘It was all about workrate, that's what we needed to get done,’ he said.
‘We got a good few balls inside, probably didn't make them stick enough, probably trying to take on a man before winning the ball – I think that's the key against the wind, you have to win the ball first and then play from there.
‘We also probably had a couple of stupid wides against the wind, where we could have given half-balls in or we could have taken the ball an extra touch.
‘That's something we'll work on, the efficiency side of it, but I thought our workrate, our hitting the breaks, our hunger to get on the ball was an awful lot better than it was last week and that's the way it should be, that's the standard.
‘You're not always going to play as well or have great hurling at times and things mightn’t come off in your gameplan, but your workrate and your attitude and your character has to be the standard.’
Waterford looked to make the elements count in the opening period and did hold a 0-5 to 0-1 advantage at one stage as Cork took time to settle, but the visitors were also guilty of failing to take full advantage of their opportunities.
Cork’s workrate was much improved from the 16-point loss to Limerick last week, with Seán O’Donoghue, Ger Millerick and Cormac O’Brien excellent in defence while Shane Barrett – captain in the absence of Robert Downey – stood out in attack.
Cork's Ciarán Joyce receives the Eir Man of the Match from Cork camogie star Saoirse McCarthy.
The hosts drew level at 0-6 thanks to a Horgan free before Barrett had them ahead for the first time and the rest of the first half ebbed and flowed, with Michael Kiely and Seán Walsh getting good points for Waterford while Barrett and Séamus Harnedy replied for Cork. While Jamie Barron had the Suirsiders 0-11 to 0-10 in front on the half-hour, Cork had three of the last four points of the half, Alan Connolly with a pair of nice scores just before the break to send the hosts in leading by 0-13 to 0-12.
Within a minute of the restart, they had quadrupled their advantage as Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony combined to force a turnover and then worked the ball to Hayes, who finished well. Horgan’s free had them five in front but chances to ease clear were wasted and Walsh and Fitzgerald ate into the deficit before a duo of Stephen Bennett frees cut the lead to one.
Cork’s response to that looked to be emphatic. Harnedy’s third point was followed by Horgan’s seventh free and then the second goal arrived – Millerick did brilliantly in defence and his delivery was touched by Hayes into the path of Horgan, who finished well.
Hayes and Barrett extended the advantage to eight but Waterford refused to throw in the towel. After a point from Dessie Hutchinson, just on as a sub, Bennett did well to blast home a goal and Jack Prendergast pointed, just after Bennett had a shot come back off the post, to leave it 2-18 to 1-18 with ten minutes left.
The same gap pertained nine minutes later, sub Shane Kingston having had a good impact for Cork as they did enough to stay in front, and another replacement, Diarmuid Healy, and O’Brien landed late points as they made sure of the win.
Now, the task turns to next weekend but Ryan is positive about the challenge.
‘We want to win it,’ he said.
‘We’re not winning enough trophies. We’re trying to put things to bed, stuff we haven’t won.
‘It is a huge day. We had a huge support up in Limerick the last day and we left them down.
‘We are under no illusions about the challenge that is ahead of us but it is up to ourselves to make sure we represent the jersey better than we did that day and the result will take care of itself.’
Scorers
Cork: Patrick Horgan 1-8 (8f); Brian Hayes 1-1; Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy, Alan Connolly 0-3 each; Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-2 (1f); Mark Coleman, Shane Kingston, Cormac O’Brien 0-1 each.
Waterford: Stephen Bennett 1-7 (6f, 1sl); Seán Walsh, Patrick Fitzgerald 0-3 each; Jack Prendergast, Michael Kiely 0-2 each; Billy Nolan (1f), Mark Fitzgerald, Dessie Hutchinson, Jamie Barron, Kieran Bennett 0-1 each.
Cork: Patrick Collins; Seán O’Donoghue, Ger Millerick, Eoin Downey; Mark Coleman, Ciarán Joyce, Cormac O’Brien; Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Brian Roche, Shane Barrett, Séamus Harnedy; Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes, Patrick Horgan.
Subs: Diarmuid Healy for Roche (47), Luke Meade for O’Mahony (60), Shane Kingston for Connolly (62), Damien Cahalane for Millerick (63, temporary), Conor Lehane for Horgan (70+3), Tommy O’Connell for O’Brien (70+5).
Waterford: Billy Nolan; Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty, Gavin Fives; Mark Fitzgerald, Tadhg de Búrca, Kieran Bennett; Darragh Lyons, Paddy Leavey; Michael Kiely, Jamie Barron, Jack Prendergast; Seán Walsh, Stephen Bennett, Patrick Fitzgerald.
Subs: Dessie Hutchinson for Leavey (41), Kevin Mahony for P Fitzgerald (51), Shane Bennett for Lyons (52, injured), Austin Gleeson for Walsh (60).
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).
