Rebels too strong for Waterford at Walsh Park

Waterford will have to get a result in Ennis in the last round of games of this year’s National Hurling League if they are to advance to the knockout stages of the competition for the third year running.

This is because Waterford lost for the second time in the competition over the weekend and the four points which they have already collected in the competition might not be enough to see them advance to the knockout stages of the competition because of the way results in Division 1A are panning out.

Waterford’s saving grace however is that they have beaten both Kilkenny and Dublin who are behind them in the league table going into the last round of games and both of these sides are playing each other in the last round of games, so Waterford will be hoping for a draw is the result of that game.

Even if Waterford do get through to the last eight on four points, they could be served up a number of banana skin semi-final games, one of which could well be South East Neighbours Wexford who could well become the third side in a row to win the League having won Division 1B, following in the footsteps of Waterford in 2015 and Clare last year.

Waterford won the toss and opted to play against the stiff breeze, a decision that many would have questioned, and with the breeze at their backs in the opening thirty five minutes Cork made full use of it, turning around with a 0-14 to 1-4 lead showing on the scoreboard.

The first quarter of this game was a very even contest, as the sides were level on three occasions.

The key score in the opening quarter was a fifth minute goal by Shane Bennett who could well prove to be the solution to Waterford’s goal scoring problems in big games in recent years. The Ballysaggart Club Man was fed by Michael Walsh and the dangerous inside forward duly dispatched Anthony Nash in the Cork goal.

Waterford lost Jamie Barron after 15 minutes with an injury. The Fourmilewater Club man is one of Waterford’s most consistent players in recent years and one has to wonder if he was able to complete the 70 minutes what the outcome of this game would have been.

However the goal failed to ignite Waterford and instead Cork lead by Conor Lehane and Seamus Harnedy lead 0-8 to 1-2 after eighteen minutes.

Pauric Mahony and Austin Gleeson pulled points back for Waterford, but the eventual winners finished the half strong, reeling of the last five scores of the half to head to the dressing rooms leading by double scores.

In front of an attendance of 6,629 many were wondering what roll the wind would play in the second half when Waterford would have it at their backs.

The answer proved to be not much.

Cork started the second half as they ended the first, extending their lead with a fine effort from Michael Cahalane.

Waterford hit back with three points from Pauric Mahony and one from Maurice Shanahan, before Brosnan and Meade Struck for the visitors which was followed with another for the Ballygunner Club man.

Although the home side  were whittling the Cork lead down to four with time in the third quarter ticking down, a goal from Luke Meade who raced through the Waterford defence and finish past Stephen O’Keeffe to give his side a 1-17 to 1-10 lead with twenty one minutes plus stoppage time still to play in the game.

Ten minutes later, Maurice Shanahan was issued with a straight red card for an incident involving Dean Brosnan.

Cork throughout the game were the dominant side and over the course of the game they had twelve different scorer, Conor Lehane finishing the game with eight points, seven of which came from placed balls.

Cork too would finish the game with only fourteen men as Barry Kelly sent Seamus Harnedy for an early shower when he collected a second yellow card two minutes from the end of normal time.

Waterford: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Darragh Lyons, Tadhg de Búrca, Kevin Moran; Jamie Barron, Shane Bennett; Colin Dunford, Austin Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; Stephen Bennett, Michael Walsh, Maurice Shanahan. Subs: Conor Gleeson for Jamie Barron (15), Tom Devine for Colin Dunford (48), Patrick Curran for Shane Bennett (51), Brian O’Halloran for Austin Gleeson (64), Thomas Ryan for Michael Walsh (64).

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-8 (8fs); Shane Bennett 1-0; Patrick Curran 0-2; Austin Gleeson, Maurice Shanahan, Stephen Bennett 0-1 each.

Cork: Anthony Nash; Stephen McDonnell, Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane; Christopher Joyce, Mark Ellis, Mark Coleman; Bill Cooper, Lorcan McLoughlin; Dean Brosnan, Conor Lehane, Luke Meade; Alan Cadogan Seamus Harnedy, Shane Kingston. Subs: Michael Cahalane for Alan Cadogan (31), Patrick Horgan for Shane Kingston (64), Killian Burke for Stephen McDonnell (66), Chris O’Leary for Lorcan  McLoughlin (68)

Scorers: Conor Lehane 0-8 (7fs); Luke Meade 1-1; Bill Cooper 0-3; Anthony Nash (f), Christopher Joyce, Mark Coleman, Dean Brosnan, Shane Kingston, Seamus Harnedy, Michael Cahalane, Lorcan McLoughlin, Patrick Horgan 0-1 each.

Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath)