Cork boss John Cleary hails impact off the bench as Rebels rout Waterford to set up McGrath Cup final with Kerry

Cork 1-20

Waterford 0-6

KIERAN McCARTHY REPORTS

AFTER watching his side turn a two-point half-time lead into a 17-point rout, Cork boss John Cleary was a content man. Job done.

With half-time sub Chris Óg Jones kicking 1-4 from play in that second half and Eoghan McSweeney, who finished with 0-5, giving an exhibition in long-range shooting, the Rebels outscored Waterford by 1-14 to 0-2 in a one-sided second half in Mallow.

The reward is Cork now host Kerry in the McGrath Cup final next Friday evening.

 ‘The first half was very flat and we weren't at the races, really. We had a hard week’s training, in fairness, and fellas were not at it in the first half. We had a few words at half time and said in any game you play you have to be at it from the start,’ Cleary said afterwards.

‘In fairness to Waterford they put up a solid defensive unit in the first half; we couldn’t break it down and took the wrong options. We did say at half time that they will probably tire and the main thing was to keep the ball moving. That’s what we did and the gaps opened, we had an impact off the bench and that made a difference in the second half.’

This was a game that Cork never trailed in, though it took them time to put any space between themselves and the travelling Déise men. The teams traded the opening eight points; every time Cork nudged ahead, Waterford levelled. 

Fionn Herlihy, Mark Cronin (free), Cathal Maguire and Eoghan McSweeney were on target for Cork, with Niall McSweeney (free), William Beresford, Michael O’Brien (free) and Stephen Curry replying for Waterford to leave it 0-4 apiece after 16 minutes, but the scores dried up in the second quarter.

There were only two further scores in the opening half, with Cathal Maguire kicking his second from play and Cronin adding another free. Cork almost goaled in the 28th minute, but Sean Meehan’s effort, after the home team’s best move of the game, took a touch and went out for a 45.

The second half was just 13 seconds old when half-time sub Chris Óg Jones goaled, collecting a direct pass in from Colm O’Callaghan and firing low across the goal. This set the tempo and it was one-way traffic from here. After Brian O’Driscoll’s point was cancelled out by a Michael O’Brien effort in the 41st minute, Waterford’s first score since the 16th minute, the Rebels reeled off eight points on the spin – McSweeney (4), Chris Óg Jones (2), Blake Murphy and David Buckley were all on target. It was 1-15 to 0-5 after 56 minutes. Game well and truly over.

Stephen Curry briefly lifted the siege with a Waterford point in a rare attack, but Cork finished with another flurry of points – Chris Óg Jones (2), Mark Cronin (2 frees) and Damien Gore completing the rout.

Scorers

Cork: Chris Óg Jones 1-4; Eoghan McSweeney 0-5; Mark Cronin 0-4 (4f); Cathal Maguire 0-2; Fionn Herlihy, Brian O’Driscoll, Blake Murphy (f), David Buckley, Damien Gore 0-1 each.

Waterford: Stephen Curry, Michael O’Brien (1f) 0-2 each; Niall McSweeney (f), William Beresford 0-1 each.

Cork: C Kelly; N Lordan, K Flahive, B O’Driscoll; L Fahy, S Meehan, J McCarthy; I Maguire, P Walsh; J O’Rourke, F Herlihy, C Maguire; M Cronin, B Murphy, E McSweeney.

Subs: C O’Callaghan for P Walsh (32, inj), D Buckley for F Herlihy (ht), C Óg Jones for C Maguire (ht), D Cashman for J McCarthy (ht), A Walsh Murphy for B O’Driscoll (45), D Gore for I Maguire (47), A Hassett for K Flahive (56), C Dungan for C Kelly (56), D Desmond for E McSweeney (61), G O’Sullivan for J O’Rourke (61), M Taylor for L Fahy (64).

Waterford: A Beresford; R McGrath, C Walsh, C McCarthy; R Browne, M Curry, C Ó Cuirrín; J Keane, J Curry; D Ryan, W Beresford, S Whelan-Barrett; S Curry, N McSweeney, M O’Brien.

Subs: B Hynes for M O’Brien (54), J O’Connell for C McCarthy (54), C Maguire for S Whelan-Barrett (58), J Sheridan for A Beresford (58), D Fitzgerald for N McSweeney (60).

Referee: P O’Sullivan (Kerry).