Cork hold off late Waterford charge to land their first win of hurling league

Jack O’Connor’s second-half goal had put Cork ahead by nine points.

Fintan O'Toole Reports from SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Cork 1-21

Waterford 1-19

OFF THE MARK with the home comforts helping to achieve a win.

Cork’s hurling league struggles to date saw pressure applied before this game against Waterford, but in a dress rehearsal eight weeks out from their championship encounter in Walsh Park, Pat Ryan’s team got over the line.

It transpired to be a close-run thing. Cork looked set to win at their ease midway through the second half. Jack O’Connor’s pace saw him burn the Waterford defence and finish to the corner of the net for a terrific goal. That put Cork nine clear in the 49th minute and they still enjoyed an advantage of that size when Seamus Harnedy rifled over a point in the 56th minute.

However Waterford came charging like a train for the line in the finale. They woke from their scoring slumber and shot ten points in the final quarter. Paddy Leavey was impressive at midfield throughout, while they got valuable returns from their substitutes in the impacts of Conor Sheahan, Jamie Barron and Michael Kiely. The gap was cut to two but that was as close as Waterford came.

In front 0-11 to 1-7 at the interval, Cork had edged ahead courtesy of a pair of pointed frees before the break due to the combination of Conor Lehane drawing fouls and Patrick Horgan slotting shots.

Sean Walsh had bundled home a goal for Waterford in the 27th minute, shrugging off Damien Cahalane and finding the net with a ground stroke. Leavey showed well for Waterford in that time frame, the midfielder banging over two long-range points. It was an opening period where the fare never really ignited for the 10,622 attendance, but it was still fractious at times on the pitch with six yellow cards shown by referee James Owens, divided equally between both teams.

calum-lyons-and-ciaran-joyce Waterford’s Calum Lyons in action against Cork’s Ciaran Joyce. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO

The third quarter was bossed by Cork. They knocked over four points inside the first four minutes and Jack Prendergast’s 40th minute free, Waterford’s only scoring in that period, failed to half Cork’s flow.

Brian Hayes, a bright presence in the first half, and O’Connor were showing up well, while the experience of Seamus Harnedy and Horgan saw them feature in the scoring act. O’Connor’s superb goal left Cork in a comfortable position of ascendancy, 1-17 to 1-8, Robert Downey’s point moments later put them in front by 10, their greatest margin of scoreboard superiority during the game.

Cork got there in the end to secure the precious two league points on offer, yet Waterford’s substitutes inspired a late surge that made things interesting. After the league endeavours, the pair will come together again on 21 April.

jack-oconnor-celebrates-scoring-a-goal Jack O'Connor celebrates scoring a goal for Cork. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO

Scorers for Cork: Patrick Horgan 0-7 (0-6f), Jack O’Connor 1-3, Brian Hayes 0-3, Rob Downey 0-2, Seamus Harnedy 0-2, Tommy O’Connell 0-1, Ciaran Joyce 0-1, Alan Connolly 0-1 (0-1f), Ger Millerick 0-1.

Scorers for Waterford: Jack Prendergast 0-5 (0-4f), Calum Lyons 0-4 (0-2f), Sean Walsh 1-0, Paddy Leavey 0-3, Conor Sheahan 0-2, Mikey Kiely 0-1, Tom Barron 0-1, Patrick Curran 0-1, Jamie Barron 0-1, Billy Nolan 0-1.

Cork

1. Brion Saunderson (Midleton)

2. Cathal McCarthy (Sarsfields), 3. Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), 4. Sean O’Donoghue (Inniscarra – captain)

5. Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills), 6. Ciaran Joyce (Castlemartyr), 7. Mark Coleman (Blarney)

8. Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), 9. Tommy O’Connell (Midleton)

12. Seamus Harnedy (St Ita’s), 11. Conor Lehane (Midleton), 10. Shane Barrett (Blarney)

13. Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s), 14. Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), 15. Jack O’Connor (Sarsfields)

Subs

21. Brian Roche (Bride Rovers) for Twomey (inj) (8)
19. Robert Downey (Glen Rovers) for Joyce (temporary) (11)
Joyce for Downey (21)
25. Shane Kingston (Douglas) for Lehane (49)
26. Alan Connolly (Blackrock) for Horgan (58)
22. Luke Meade (Newcestown) for Harnedy (68)

Waterford

1. Shaun O’Brien (De La Salle)

4. Conor Ryan (Roanmore), 2. Mark Fitzgerald (Passage), 5. PJ Fanning (Mount Sion)

9. Calum Lyons (Ballyduff Lower), 6. Tom Barron (Fourmilewater), 7. Billy Nolan (Roanmore)

8. Paddy Leavy (Ballygunner), 17. Darragh Lyons (Dungarvan)

9. Patrick Curran (Dungarvan), 11. Jack Prendergast (Lismore), 12. Neil Montgomery (Abbeyside-Ballinacourty)

20. Kevin Mahony (Ballygunner), 14. Sean Walsh (Fourmilewater), 15. Padraig Fitzgerald (Kilrossanty)