2021 Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final – Cork 5-28 Waterford 0-3

Cork defeated Waterford by 5-28 to 0-3 in the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final on Wednesday July 21st at Fraher Field Dungarvan.

Cork minor footballers match hurlers' mammoth win with 40-point hammering of Waterford https://t.co/GamrYjXZdZ

— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) July 21, 2021

Cork minor footballers match hurlers’ mammoth win with 40-point hammering of Waterford

Report by Tomas McCarthy for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Cork 5-28 Waterford 0-3

A week after the county’s minor hurlers won by the same mammoth margin, the Cork U17 footballers walloped Waterford by 40 points in the Dungarvan sunshine to set up a provincial semi final with Kerry.

Full-forward Jamie O’Driscoll netted a hat-trick while Darragh O’Brien and Niall Daly also raised green flags. Hugh O’Connor kicked nine points, Niall Kelly knocked over eight from play while Ross Corkery, son of Cork legend Colin, settled for seven.

The Déise have never defeated Cork at minor level and this horribly one-sided contest again exposed the alarming gap between these two counties.

Two goals in as many minutes from Jamie O’Driscoll left the rampant Rebels 24 points up at half time (2-18 to 0-0). Hugh O’Connor kicked seven points (four from play and three from placed balls). Niall Kelly added five and Ross Corkery, got four.

Corner forward O’Connor was the only survivor from the loss to Kerry in the Munster semi final last December and he kicked Cork’s first after just 16 seconds.

The home side missed a big goal chance in the fourth minute. Adam Murray found Liam Lynch behind the Cork cover but he dragged his shot left and wide.

It was 0-7 to no score to the visitors after 10 minutes. O’Connor kicked three, including an advanced mark, Niall Kelly got two while Rory O’Shaughnessy and Ross Corkery chipped in with one each.

Corkery added another before midfielder Michael McSweeney got in on the act. 0-9 to 0-0 at the first water break.

Kelly made it a 10-point gap before Waterford created their second goal chance of the opening half. Sam Pender was through one on one with Mikey O’Connell but the Cork keeper deflected his shot away for a 45.

On 23 minutes, O’Shaughnessy found Jamie O’Driscoll and he finished past Waterford netminder Dara Kavanagh. 60 seconds later, O’Driscoll drilled a second into the bottom corner. Kavanagh denied O’Driscoll a hat trick on the stroke of half time with a brave save. To add to the Déise despair, Ryan Hennessy was black carded in injury time.

Adam Murray got Waterford on the scoreboard from a free on 34 minutes. The Rathgormack man converted two more.

At the other end, brave Déise defending foiled both O’Connor and O’Shaughnessy. O’Connor completed his evening with nine points before he was subbed on 41 minutes. Stiffer tests to come.

Wing-back Darragh O’Brien blasted home a third goal just before the second water break. His shot was so fierce that it knocked the green flag to the ground. O’Driscoll completed his hat trick 10 minutes from time. Sub Niall Daly then fired a fifth to the top corner.

The final whistle was a relief for the hosts.

Scorers for Cork: J O’Driscoll 3-0, H O’Connor 0-9 (3fs, 2 marks), N Kelly 0-8, R Corkery 0-7 (2fs), D O’Brien, N Daly 1-0 each, M McSweeney 0-2, F Crowley, R O’Shaughnessy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Waterford: A Murray 0-3 (3fs).

CORK: M O’Connell; D Twomey, S O’Connell, P O’Grady; S Copps, C Twomey, D O’Brien; M McSweeney, R O’Shaughnessy; J O’Neill, N Kelly, C Gillespie; R Corkery, J O’Driscoll, H O’Connor.
Subs: M Hunt for O’Grady (HT), D Crowley for O’Connell (41), N Daly for Gillespie (41), O Corcoran for O’Connor (41), F Crowley for O’Neill (47), C Cusack for O’Brien (Blood, 52).

WATERFORD: D Kavanagh; B Dee-Carter, S Byrne, A Greene; C Ryan, R Hennessy, T Leane; S Flavin, O O’Dwyer; J Power, E O’Callaghan, E Ó Grádaigh; L Lynch, A Murray, S Pender.
Subs: A Jacob for O’Callaghan (Blood 4-7), C Sweeney for Ó Grádaigh (HT), T Martin for Leane (47), A Jacob for Power (47), M Long for Flavin (52), B Stuart for Lynch (55).

Referee: N Quinn (Clare).

Ticket Information

No tickets for tonight’s Munster Minor Football Q-Finals have been returned by the counties involved.
As a result, there are no tickets for public sale & the games are sold out.

Team News

The Waterford Minor Football Team to face Cork in tomorrow night's Munster Minor Football Championship Quarter Final has been announced!

Best of Luck to Tim Lenehan, his management team and all the panel!#deiseabú
⚪🔵 pic.twitter.com/an6sS8Qd1I

— Waterford GAA (@WaterfordGAA) July 20, 2021

WATERFORD (Munster MFC v Cork): D Kavanagh (Gaultier); B Dee-Carter (Brickey Rangers), S Byrne (Gaultier), A Greene (Dunhill); C Ryan (Brickey Rangers), R Hennessy (Rathgormack), T Leane (Rathgormack); S Flavin (Colligan), O O’Dwyer (Ardmore); T Fennell (Stradbally), E O’Callaghan (Dungarvan), E Ó Grádaigh (Gaultier); L Lynch (Gaultier), A Murray (Rathgormack), S Pender (Roanmore).
Subs: N Greene (Rathgormack), J Power (Kilrossanty), M Long (Butlerstown), C Sweeney (Ballinacourty), A Jacob (St Saviours), T Martin (Gaultier), S Roche (Shamrocks), B Stuart (Lismore), K Connors (Kilrossanty).

CORK (Munster MFC v Waterford): M O’Connell (St Michael’s); D Twomey (Ballinascarthy), S O’Connell (Kilshannig), P O’Grady (Killavullen); S Copps (Mallow), C Twomey (Carbery Rangers), D O’Brien (Glanworth); M McSweeney (Knocknagree), R O’Shaughnessy (St Michael’s); J O’Neill (Castlehaven), N Kelly (Newcestown), C Gillespie (Aghabullogue); R Corkery (Nemo Rangers), J O’Driscoll (Castlehaven), H O’Connor (Newmarket).
Subs: D Walsh (Douglas), F Crowley (St Finbarr’s), M Hunt (Macroom), C Cusack (Nemo Rangers), D Crowley (Urhan), J Cunningham (Douglas), L O’Herlihy (St Michael’s), N Daly (Ilen Rovers), O Corcoran (St Mary’s).