Cork 3-16 Waterford 3-12A cathartic few months for Cork hurling ended in celebration at Thurles yesterday with victory in the Guinness Munster final against holders Waterford. It was a strange match with few of the predicted influences being brought to bear. In the end, Cork's second half dominance was sufficient to swing the verdict but the champions were still in contention despite looking beaten for most of the 70 minutes.

A barrage of points at the start of the second half and the awakened form of several Cork players, principally John Gardiner and the half backs, turned around the five-point interval deficit. And for each of the goals that Waterford filched to prolong the competitive aspect, Cork responded in kind.

A key analysis of the defending champions' chances was they couldn't rely on Paul Flynn to carry them through a match of this importance. Ken McGrath and Eoin Kelly, both All Stars, would have to step up to the plate. Captain Tony Browne's troublesome ankle carried him through a good first half but he had to be replaced 10 minutes before the end.

In the end, Flynn had a subdued afternoon. He received a blow to the head early on and had to play bandaged for virtually the whole match. None the less he scored four points, three from play, and set up a goal. His day ended prematurely in injury-time when he was sent off for a second yellow card.

With Flynn's average scoring tally of 2-5 much reduced, neither McGrath nor Kelly took up the slack. For McGrath, the whole afternoon was another of the nightmares he has been suffering since last year's Munster final.

Yesterday, despite winning some good possession at centrefield in the second half his marksmanship was seriously awry and he ended up with six wides, most well within his capacity. Kelly had little impact and was substituted after receiving a yellow card.

Into the void stepped John Mullane. Just back from suspension in time for the Limerick matches a month ago, his displays in the draw and replay had been uneven. But yesterday he helped himself to 3-1, his second-half goals handing Waterford a lifeline to keep within touching distance of Cork. He may, however, find himself in trouble for gesturing at the Cork crowd after one of his goals.

Confounded expectation cut both ways. Cork would hardly have given much for their chances had they been told in advance that their blue-chip corner backs would fare so badly.

Diarmuid O'Sullivan was taken off after 15 minutes, when it became clear the gamble in playing him so soon after a viral infection hadn't paid off. He had earlier switched corners with Wayne Sherlock but even the latter, as good a defender as there is in the game, had a fraught time on Mullane.

At the other end, Joe Deane was well marked by Brian Greene but still got in for 1-2, although the Waterford defender protested he had been held in the lead-up. Setanta Ó hAilpín, who had made such an impression against Clare, was less prominent but got in for a vital early goal to keep Cork in it during the first half. He also had a good chance of a second, just moments into the second half but hit the crossbar.

As usual the champions' declared team turned out to be as random as a quick-pick. The headline moves saw Flynn go in full forward with Dave Bennett dropping back to centrefield.

Ó hAilpín's first score came at a time when Waterford were making their customary busy start and had gone two points ahead. It resulted from a well won ball by Niall McCarthy, who even in the first half gave Fergal Hartley an uncomfortable afternoon. His high ball dropped in front of the Waterford goal. Stephen Brenner was slow off his line and Ó hAilpín nipped in, touched the ball past the 'keeper, picked, turned and placed it in the empty net from a tight angle.

Within a couple of minutes Mullane had run aggressively at Cork's defence for a point and was then on hand after Eoin McGrath had broken a dropping ball from his brother to score his first goal.

Waterford followed this with a spell of total dominance and led by seven after 20 minutes, 1-8 to 1-1. What happened now effectively decided the match.

Instead of burying Cork, Waterford stalled and began to waste chances. The first wide came in the 26th minute but there were four by half time. Ken McGrath had three of them and a couple were astounding.

As this stasis set in Cork outscored the champions 0-3 to 0-1 in the closing 15 minutes of the half. It left the half-time deficit a very manageable five points, with a strong breeze to follow.

Cork captain Alan Browne said afterwards this reduced margin had been an encouragement.

And it played that way on the restart. The chief turnaround was in the middle third. In the first half Waterford had ruled centrefield, with Browne in control, and Bennett sniping on the breaks.

In the second half, Browne's contribution faded and Gardiner became the prime mover in the middle, striking some lovely points from play and frees. Tom Kenny at wing back got a good rhythm going and hit good ball up the right, including a 42nd-minute point. Ronan Curran asserted himself at centre back and a series of Waterford switches failed to unsettle him.

Six unanswered points after half time moved Cork into the lead. Gardiner's equaliser summed up the afternoon. Ken McGrath went to ground claiming a free but referee Pat O'Connor waved play on and Gardiner landed the point from distance.

A couple of minutes later Flynn hit a quick free to Mullane who hit his second goal. It brought Waterford's total to 1-1 for the previous half hour.

On the right wing, Ben O'Connor had a greatly improved second half, running Eoin Murphy ragged. He struck for two points in quick succession to mitigate Mullane's goal and some minutes later squared a ball for Alan Browne to score a goal. Yet again Mullane rode to the rescue, peeling off the cover to race in for his hat-trick.

Towards the end Justin McCarthy's substitutions came unstuck. Paul O'Brien came in at corner forward but failed to win any ball and in the 58th minute that cost the third goal as Mark Prendergast's clearance came down over Tom Feeney for Deane.

Alan Kirwan came on for Hartley and gave away a point but still Waterford trailed by only two at the end of normal time. O'Connor and Gardiner added the grace notes in injury-time.

CORK: 1 D Cusack; 2 W Sherlock, 3 P Mulcahy, 4 D O'Sullivan; 5 T Kenny (0-1), 6 R Curran, 7 Seán Ó hAilpín; 8 J Gardiner (0-4, 2fs, 1 65), 9 M O'Connell; 10 B O'Connor (0-4, 1 sideline), 11 N McCarthy (0-2), 12 T McCarthy; 13 Setanta ÓhAilpín (1-0); 14 J Deane (1-4, 2fs), 15 A Browne (capt, 1-1). Subs: 18 M Prendergast for O'Sullivan (15 mins); 24 J O'Connor for O'Connell (67 mins).

WATERFORD: 1 S Brenner; 3 T Feeney, 2 B Greene, 7 D Prendergast; 4 J Murray, 6 F Hartley, 5 E Murphy; 8 T Browne (0-1), 15 D Bennett (0-4, 2fs); 9 E Kelly (0-1), 11 K McGrath, 14 A Moloney; 13 J Mullane (3-1), 12 P Flynn (0-4, 1f), 10 E McGrath (0-1). Subs: 19 S Prendergast for Moloney (47 mins); 23 P O'Brien for Kelly (54 mins); 17 P Queally for Browne (61 mins); 18 A Kirwan for Hartley (63 mins); 20; M Walsh for E McGrath (68 mins).

Referee: P O'Connor (Limerick).