Waterford minors are through another Munster Final.

Waterford are through to a fourth Munster Minor Hurling Final in five years after they overcame the challenge of Cork last night in Pairc Ui Rinn, winning on a 3-19 to 1-20.

In the final Waterford will play Limerick at their own Gaelic Grounds after they beat Tipperary in an equally as exciting game played at Semple Stadium last night.

Waterford despite a poor start, were full value for their win. The win of course will go down in history as it appears that it was Waterford’s first ever championship win at underage level against Cork on their own patch.

Wins like last nights do not happen over night or indeed over a period of a few weeks or months.

A lot of work goes into preparing teams for victories last night. A lot of credit must go to the Management team that are over the team for their input. The same must also be said of those that were over this group of players through the different development squads over the past number of years in which the players of this group of players were involved with.

Of course it’s not just down to the work done by the development squads. The work done by those involved in the secondary school teams with the players has played a part, as has the roll played by the clubs.

When it comes to coaching, the best coaching the players involved in last nights win be it with those that played or were an unused sub, came when they were six and seven years of age, starting their first steps towards last nights win, when they were shown the correct way if there is such a thing, to do things, and the bad habits that some players had in the past were discouraged.

However, I have a firm believe that the biggest factor in wins last night is our structures. Almost two decades ago, before many of the players involved in last nights win were born, some hard decisions were made and they have worked and still continue to work a treat for hurling in Waterford.

If Waterford are to move to the next step of the ladder and to get to where we want to be and where we all dream about, we have to take similar steps further up the ladder when it comes to the G.A.A. in Waterford, but are we as a county for its betterment prepared to make these changes. Hell will freeze over first before some will vote for change, but maybe if they are not prepared to vote or allow changes to me made unanimously, despite that fact that these people are very good G.A.A. people who have served the association well down the years, those that want to see the changes made which to me would be the majority should do whatever we have to, to ensure that these changes are made.

I am sure a number of people know what I am referring to. To those that don’t, I am calling for all county competitions to be introduced in Waterford and sooner rather than later. It has worked well at underage levels within the county so why can’t it work at adult level. We have the Munster and All-Ireland ‘A’ and ‘B’ Colleges trophies in the county. We are within sixty minutes of adding the Munster Hurling Trophy. It would be a terrible mistake having seen the players rise to the standard that they are currently at not get the chance to bring their game to the next level.

Cork made all the early running in last night’s game. At one stage it looked as though Waterford could well be on the end of a heavy defeat, but credit to the players, when things were not going the way that we would have liked they never threw in the towel and they were rewarded for their hard work.

The Rebels had the ball in the Waterford net inside forty seconds of this game starting, when Michael Cahalane fired past Gavin Power in the Waterford goals.

Points from Pa O’Callaghan (3), Rickard Cahalane and Michael Cahalane were added for Cork before the end of the first quarter with a single response coming for Waterford from a Patrick Curran free to give Cork a 1-5 to 0-1 lead.

But things could be different for Waterford. Referee Fergal Hogan called play back after Stephen Bennett put the ball in the Cork net after six minutes, and awarded the visitors a penalty which the Ballysaggart man struck but saw it saved by the three man Cork defensive line across the goal. Was it a harsh call by the referee to cancel out the goal which he had scored and award a penalty? Some say that the advantage should be played. But what is an advantage. Every referee, every player, every coach, every spectator sees it differently. A foul is a foul in everybody’s book (well most of the time) and usually results in a free or a penalty given to the injured party, so maybe, depends on how you look at it, the Tipperary man made the correct call.

Waterford came more into the game in the second quarter of the opening half. The side conceded just two points, and hit three themselves; Patrick Curran putting over a brace of placed balls and Colm Roche hit one to leave Waterford trailing 1-7 to 0-4 at the break.

Whatever was said in the Waterford dressing room and by whomever, it worked. Waterford came out all guns blazing.

Colm Roche hit 1-1 and Stephen Bennett hit a goal inside two minutes of the restart to give Waterford a 2-5 to 1-7 lead.

Cork levelled through Anthony Spillane but Stephen Bennett who is in the county minor panel for the third year running soon edged Waterford back in front, but Pa O’Callaghan wasted no time to level matters once more.

No one in the 3,671 attendance had any intention of leaving this game early to shorten the journey home. Down the years some terrific battles were fought out between Waterford and Cork. A great respect has grown for each other between the two sides. The only difference between these past battles and last nights game was the grade at which the game was played.

Both sides really went for it, but neither could fight off the challenge of their opponents and it was no major surprise that when the Co Tipperary official (a little early) blew the game up, the sides were locked together, Waterford 2-12 – Cork 1-15.

Cork were dealt a hammer blow early in the first ten minutes of extra time when wing back Alan O’Callaghan was sent off after he picked up his second yellow card of the game. However, playing with a numerical disadvantage is often an advantage as it puts pressure on the opposition as to how best use the extra man, while for the team with the disadvantage, its somewhat simple, you play a two man full forward line and keep the other lines across the field as you started.

Cork battled hard with fourteen men and at the break they lead 1-18 to 2-14. A replay at Walsh Park or Fraher Field next weekend could not be ruled out at this stage as the sides turned around for the second extra ten minutes with the lights at the Cork Venue now in use.

Many felt that Portlaw’s DJ Foran should have started this game, but he did come on before the break in normal time replacing Adam Farrell and he showed exactly why some think he should have started. He did his chances of starting in the Munster Final no harm at all when he hit a third Waterford goal which proved to be a killer score for Cork.

Waterford outscored the home side 1-5 to 0-2 in the second extra ten minute spell for what was a fully deserved victory after eighty minutes of real championship hurling.

WATERFORD: G Power; C Leamy, W Hahessey, K Daly; T Devine, A Gleeson, Shane Bennett; M Harney, M Kearney; A Farrell, C Roche, C Curran; P Curran, Stephen Bennett, C Gleeson. Subs: D Foran for Farrell (26); M O’Brien for Kearney (30); C Breathnach for C Curran (45); S Hogan for Roche (inj. 75); P O’Connor for Harney (76).

Scorers: P Curran (0-12, seven frees, 0-2 65s); C Roche (1-3); Stephen Bennett (1-1); D Foran (1-0); C Gleeson, C Breathnach, P O’Connor (0-1 each).

CORK: P Collins; D Quinn, K Histon, S O’Brien; C Twomey, K O’Connor, A O’Callaghan; M O’Connor, R Cahalane; C McCormack, K O’Neill, P Kelleher; M Cahalane, P O’Callaghan, A Spillane.  Subs: C Kelleher for S O’Brien (inj. 7); B Dunne for Kelleher (44); A Ward for Dunne (71); D Hannon for O’Connor (77).

Scorers: P O’Callaghan (0-10, five frees); M Cahalane (1-1); A Spillane (0-4); M O’Connor (0-3, one free); R Cahalane, C McCormack (0-1 each).

Referee: F Horgan (Tipperary).