Waterford 1-19 Cork 2-22: Rebels stun Deise at Walsh Park to avoid championship elimination
Two goals from Alan Connolly helped Cork stun Waterford in Walsh Park and prevail by six points; The Rebels needed to win to avoid elimination from the championship, and bounced back from opening defeats to Limerick and Clare to upset the Déise.
Last Updated: 15/05/22 6:59pm
Cork have blown the Munster Championship wide open with a 2-22 to 1-19 victory over Waterford in Walsh Park.
After underwhelming displays in their opening losses against Limerick and Clare, the Rebels were widely written off ahead of their trip to the Déise as they were fighting for their championship survival.
But Kieran Kingston's charges stepped up and delivered, sealing a result that greatly enhances their chances of progression to the All-Ireland series.
Following Clare's draw with Limerick, Cork's fate is in their own hands and they can seal third spot in the province with a win over Tipperary next Sunday.
Munster SHC
| Team | P | W | D | L | +/- | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limerick | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 7 |
| Clare | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 5 |
| Cork | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -7 | 2 |
| Waterford | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -5 | 2 |
| Tipperary | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -19 | 0 |
The game began with a free-taking duel between Patrick Horgan and Stephen Bennett, with the home side edging 0-6 to 0-3 ahead.
The Rebels got their first score from play in the 18th minute, and from there they came storming back into the tie, registering 1-3 without reply. The goal came via Alan Connolly, after Shaun O'Brien saved Robbie O'Flynn's initial effort.
That sparked a response from the Déise, as they scored 1-4 in succession. Their green flag was similar to Cork's, with Patrick Collins' save breaking into the path of Michael Kiely.
Waterford led 1-10 to 1-6, but the Rebels dominated the remainder of the half to take a 1-12 to 1-11 lead at the break.
Cork continued their fight in the second-half, as they pushed three points ahead.
In the 52nd minute, Alan Connolly struck once again, finishing a well-worked team move. Conor Lehane tapped over another free, and Cork led by five.
The Déise needed a response, but missed a string of frees, and their woes were compounded in the 62nd minute when Austin Gleeson was shown a second yellow card.
Try as they might, Liam Cahill's side were unable to work their way back into contention, as the Lee-siders held on for a deserved six-point victory.
Waterford now head for Ennis on the final day, knowing they still have work to do if they are to progress from the Munster round-robin for the first time.
Waterford: Shaun O'Brien; Conor Gleeson, Conor Prunty, Shane McNulty; Jack Fagan, Tadhg de Burca, Carthach Daly; Jamie Barron, Calum Lyons; Jack Prendergast (0-1), Austin Gleeson (0-4, 0-1f), Patrick Curran (0-3, 0-1f); Dessie Hutchinson, Stephen Bennett (0-7, 0-6f), Michael Kiely (1-0).
Subs: Peter Hogan (0-1) for Carthach Daly (ht), Darragh Lyons for Jamie Barron (47), Neil Montgomery (0-2) for Michael Kiely (47), Shane Bennett (0-1) for Stephen Bennett (64), Colin Dunford for Patrick Curran (70).
Cork: Patrick Collins (0-1); Niall O'Leary, Robert Downey, Sean O'Donoghue; Damien Cahalane, Ciarán Joyce, Mark Coleman (0-2); Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-2), Luke Meade (0-1); Robbie O'Flynn, Patrick Horgan (0-4, 0-4f), Conor Lehane (0-5, 0-2f); Alan Connolly (2-1), Séamus Harnedy (0-5), Shane Barrett.
Subs: Shane Kingston (0-1) for Shane Barrett (29), Tim O'Mahony for Patrick Horgan (40), Tommy O'Connell for Luke Meade (70).
