Cork 1-26 Waterford 1-15
Cork secured a place in the All-Ireland MHC final as the Munster title was claimed with an 11-point win over Waterford in Thurles last night.
Having scored an unanswered 1-3 in the opening three minutes, the Rebels led at half-time by 1-17 to 1-6 and, though Waterford eroded the lead slightly in the third quarter, Cork responded to claim provincial honours for the first time since 2017 and only the second time since 2008.
They will face either Leinster champions Kilkenny or Galway – who meet on Friday – in the decider next Saturday week, the day before the senior final.
Eoin O’Leary’s goal with the first play of the game put Cork in command and they led all through. The excellent William Buckley, Diarmuid Healy and Jack Leahy had points as they threatened to run riot and, though Billy O’Connel and Patrick Fitzgerald had Waterford back to within four, Cork eased clear with five on the trot, Healy to the fore along with corner-back Daragh O’Sullivan.
However, just before and just after the water-break, Peter Cummins had gone close to Waterford goals and the Déise did raise a green flag on 22, a fine individual effort from Jack Twomey to bring them back to within six points.
Once again, Cork were able to move up a gear and in a seven-minute spell near the end of the first half they reeled off six points on the trot.
While Cork’s Timmy Wilk had two points early in the second half, they weren’t at the same level of fluency and Waterford cut the deficit slightly, with their primary scoring threat Patrick Fitzgerald making his presence felt.
Even so, eight points was the closest they came, Leahy imposing himself on the game in the final quarter.
CORK: P O'Sullivan; D O'Sullivan, K Lyons, J Byrne; J Dwyer, B O'Connor, T Wilk (0-2); M Finn (0-2, 1sl), C Tobin (0-1); D Healy (0-2), B Nyhan (0-1), T O'Connell; E O'Leary (1-2), J Leahy (0-11, 7f, 1 65), W Buckley (0-4). Subs: A Walsh (0-1) for Nyhan (6-7, temporary), D Cremin for O'Connell (22, injured), Walsh for Nyhan (half-time), R Sheahan for Dwyer (50), R O'Sullivan for Buckley (56), O O'Regan for Leahy (58).
WATERFORD: C Troy; C Keane, C O'Keeffe, R Dobbyn; B O'Connell (0-1), C Treen, A O'Neill; S Callaghan, F Hallinan; L Ó Siothcháin, J O'Donnell, M Ó Mathúna; P Fitzgerald (0-8, 7f, 1 65), J Twomey (1-4), P Cummins (0-2). Subs: A Higgins for Keane (half-time), S Pender for Ó Mathúna (39), M O'Brien for Callaghan (41-47, temporary), D Walsh for O'Connell (53), H Flanagan for O'Keeffe (60).
Referee: J O'Halloran (Limerick).
