Cork too strong for Waterford as relegation fears subside

Waterford 1-13 Cork 1-21

Cork all but guaranteed top-flight status for next season thanks to a surprisingly routine victory over a Waterford side hurling at its flattest since descending into Division 1B three springs ago.

Having beaten both Clare and Waterford to date, and with both those sides meeting in Cusack Park a week on Sunday, a draw in Ennis may prove the only scenario which could leave Cork facing a relegation playoff.

But Cork, who face All-Ireland champions and already qualified Tipperary at Páirc Uí Rinn in the final round of the ‘regular season’, at least have the comfort of knowing that their fate is in their own hands.

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Having lost the toss, with Waterford captain Kevin Moran surprisingly opting to play into the strong Walsh Park wind, Cork proved the slower side to rise from the blocks.

Pauric Mahony opened the scoring with a first-minute free, with Bill Cooper levelling matters with a fine 50-metre strike four minutes later.

But Waterford's initial mastering of the conditions saw them go ahead through their next attack, as Michael Walsh's lay-off sent Shane Bennett searing through Cork's defence; with the Ballysaggart attacker shooting low to the left of the diving Anthony Nash.

Cooper, who struck three excellent points from play, responded quickly to send another white flag high in front of a 6,699-strong gate on a very soft pitch, which has at least been cut since the previous meeting with Tipperary. Conor Lehane and Cooper added points in the 10th and 12th minutes before Stephen Bennett found his range just shy of the quarter hour.

But between then and half-time, primarily off Lehane’s stick, Cork looked the more cohesive unit, adding 10 points to Waterford’s two to open up a seven-point lead which ultimately proved decisive.

Cork were first to score after the break through substitute Michael Cahalane, who expertly plucked Nash's free before cleverly turning and executing. But Waterford demonstrated signs of life when adding on four scores without reply between the 39th and 44th minutes through Mahony (with three frees) and Maurice Shanahan. Yet Cork struck back with points from Dean Brosnan and Luke Meade, before Mahony found his range again in the 48th minute.

And they registered the game’s decisive score in the 49th minute through Luke Meade, who surged through the Deise defence, blasting the ball low into Stephen O’Keeffe’s net to send Cork eight points clear.

Mahony and Lehane traded further frees in the 50th and 52nd minutes in what was a far from fluent contest, pock marked by rucks and hardly assisted by the heavy underfoot conditions. Between then and full-time, the teams lost a man each to dismissals, with Maurice Shanahan given a straight red in the 59th minute, while Séamus Harnedy picked up a second yellow card in the closing minutes.

While substitute Patrick Curran added a brace of points for Waterford in the final stages, Cork boss Kieran Kingston must have been enthused by not only the nature of his side's victory, but the sight of the returning Patrick Horgan adding his name to the scoresheet with four minutes remaining.

WATERFORD: Stephen O'Keeffe; S Fives, B Coughlan, N Connors; D Lyons, T de Burca, K Moran; J Barron, Shane Bennett (1-0); C Dunford, A Gleeson (0-1), P Mahony (0-8, all frees); Stephen Bennett (0-1), M Walsh, M Shanahan (0-1).

Subs: C Gleeson for Barron (15 mins), T Devine for Dunford (48 mins), P Curran (0-2) for Shane Bennett (51 mins), B O'Halloran for Gleeson (64 mins), T Ryan for Walsh (64 mins).

CORK: A Nash (0-1, free); K Burke, D Cahalane, C Spillane; C Joyce (0-1), M Ellis, M Coleman (0-1); B Cooper (0-3), L McLoughlin (0-1); D Brosnan (0-1), C Lehane (0-8, seven frees), L Meade (1-1); A Cadogan, S Harnedy (0-1), S Kingston (0-1).

Subs: M Cahalane (0-1) for Cadogan (31 mins), P Horgan (0-1) for Kingston (64 mins), K Burke for McDonnell (66 mins), C O'Leary for McLoughlin (68 mins)

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath)