Waterford Defeat Cork To Reach Seventh All-Ireland Final

It is what the G.A.A. World is crying out for a long time, an All-Ireland Final that does not involved Kilkenny, Cork or Tipperary and Waterford made it happen when they easily accounted for Cork in the second of this year’s All-Ireland semi-finals at Croke Park today.

Waterford started this game without Tadgh de Búrca having lost his third appeal to his sending off against Wexford in the previous round, and finished the game with 14 players after Conor Gleeson was sent off late on in the game, but it should also be pointed out that the Rebels finished the game with even a man less as they lost both Damien Cahalane and Patrick Horgan to Red Cards in the second half.

For fifty one minutes of this game it was anybody’s game to win and it looked like as if something special was needed to win the game, but Cork played the final quarter of the game with a numerical advantage after first Cahalane was sent off after collecting his second yellow of the game, the first coming in the first half for a pull across Austin Gleeson and the second for a high tattle on Conor Gleeson.

It’s often that when a side has their numbers cut that they up their game and often pull off a big win, but Waterford in the final quarter really pushed Cork and fully deserved the eleven point winning margin.

Waterford won the toss and Kevin Moran opted to defend the Hill 16 end goal in the first half, but it was Cork that hit the first goal of the game when Patrick Horgan put over a free after Shane Kingston was fouled. Waterford however were quickly on level term for the first time in this game after Pauric Mahony put over a lovely score following a good run by the Ballygunner man.

Horgan pointed once more for the Munster Champions soon after the Ballygunner man scored, but within sixty seconds Waterford took the lead when poor defending by the Cork defence saw Michael Walsh drill the sliotar low past Anthony Nash.

Shane Kingston and Kevin Moran who was hugely impressive for Waterford swapped scores, but Horgan again replied for Cork to leave them trailing 1-2 to 0-4.

Kevin Moran got his second of the game to give Waterford a two point lead, but points from Alan Cadogan and Patrick Horgan soon levelled matters on the scoreboard once more.

The De La Salle man edged Waterford one in front but Horgan soon equalised once more for the Rebels.

Horgan put over his sixth score of the game to give Cork an 0-8 to 1-4 but Pauric Mahony quickly levelled matters once more after the referee called back play to award the Déise County a free when having allowed advantage which amounted to nothing for Waterford. The Ballygunner man put over free after Cahalane gave away a free which lead to his first booking, after which Jamie Barron put over a good score for Waterford with four minutes of the first half remaining.

Horgan pulled a point back for Rebels just as the thirty fifth minute ticked over, but both sides were unlucky not to add to their first half totals before they retired to the dressing rooms under the Hogan Stand as Conor Lehane first put the sliotar inches wide of Stephen O’Keeffe’s upright and then an effort from Kevin Moran required hawk eye to tell the officials if the attempt from under the Hogan Stand went between or to the right of Anthony Nash’s upright.

Just over 70,000 wondered if the second half would prove to be as close as the first half proved to be, but its possibly fair to say that few could foresee how the game would end out.  

Patrick Horgan as he did in the first half got the first score of the second half when he put over a long range free to level matters for the fifth time, but the ever reliable Pauric Mahony put over another free to give Waterford a 1-8 to 0-10 lead.

Horgan nailed another free for Cork before Mark Coleman who has had a great year for Cork fed Conor Lehane who edged Cork in front once more, but another brilliant effort from Kevin Moran soon had the sides level once more.

Waterford were attempting to score from distance but accuracy was letting them down at times, but at the other end when Patrick Horgan was presented with chances he was striking like treading a needle and he gave Cork the lead once more.

A super score from Darragh Fives was followed with a point from Darragh Fitzgibbon from a sideline cut which kept the Munster Champions in front, and so it remained when Seamus Harnedy and Pauric Mahony swapped scores with twenty minutes left.

Cork were reduced to fourteen a minute later when Cahalane picked up a second yellow card for a high challenge on Conor Gleeson, after which Pauric Mahony from a free and then Austin Gleeson found the range to give Waterford a 1-13 to 0-15 lead. Cadogan pointed for the side with fourteen players with sixteen minutes left, but it was from here on it that Waterford began to pull away, even if Horgan did give them the lead once more from a free ad then from play before Waterford began to hit some crucial scores.

Jamie Barron who won an All-Star last year and who must be well in contention for another this year rattled the Rebels net when he got on the end of a brilliant Austin Gleeson past and his club mate from Fourmilewater Conor Gleeson followed up with a point from play which gave Waterford a 2-14 to 0-18 lead.

Pauric Mahony put over another long range free which surely had many Waterford supporters reaching for their phone and their list of contacts who might be able to source very valuable All-Ireland tickets for the first Sunday in September.

Conor Lehane pointed for the Cork after which Brian O’Halloran and Luke O’Halloran both of whom had come on as subs for their respective sides landed scores.

Maurice Shanahan and Pauric Mahony helped extend Waterford’s lead to seven with time almost up. Both side soon afterward saw their numbers cut when Conor Gleeson and Patrick Horgan were issued with red cards.

Austin Gleeson added a point in added time and two minutes into the four added minutes, Jamie Barron pounced for his second goal of the game.

And so Waterford are through to a seventh All-Ireland hurling final, one which will truly be a novel one, one that will have the neutrals split down the middle as to which side they would like to see take home the Liam McCarthy Cup.

WATERFORD: Stephen O’Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Darragh Fives; Kieran Bennett, Conor Gleeson, Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron, Kevin Moran; Michael Walsh, Austin Gleeson, Pauric Mahony; Shane Bennett, Jake Dillon. Subs: M. Shanahan for Jake Dillon (46); Brian O’Halloran for Shane Bennett (56); Thomas Ryan for Michael Walsh (59), Colin Dunford for Pauric Mahony (68); Patrick Curran for J. Barron (70+1).

Scorers: Pauric Mahony 0-8 (6fs), Jamie Barron 2-1, Austin Gleeson 1-2, Kevin Moran 0-4, Michael Walsh 1-0, Darragh Fives, Brian O’Halloran, Conor Gleeson, and Maurice Shanahan 0-1 each.

CORK: Anthony Nash; Colm Spillane, Damien Cahalane; Mark Ellis; Christopher Joyce, Stephen  McDonnell, Mark Coleman; Bill Cooper, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Shane Kingston, Conor  Lehane, Luke Meade; Patrick Horgan, Alan Cadogan, Seamus Harnedy. Subs: Michael Cahalane for Luke Meade (h-t); Daniel Kearney for Bill Cooper, Luke O’Farrell for Alan Cadogan (66);

Scorers: Patrick Horgan 0-12 (7fs), Alan Cadogan and Conor Lehane 0-2 each, Shane Kingston, Luke O’Farrell, Seamus Harnedy, Darragh Fitzgibbon (sideline) 0-1 each.

REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford).