Allianz Hurling League Division 1A – Waterford 0-15 Cork 1-12

Waterford 0-15 Cork 1-12

Report from the RTE.ie web site

Waterford and Cork shared the spoils – 0-15 to 1-12 – after a hard-fought contest in wet and windy Dungarvan in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A. Brian O’Halloran’s brace had Waterford leading by 0-05 to 0-01 after 15 minutes. They ended the half with five unanswered scores to give them a 0-10 to 0-02 interval lead. Stephen Moylan’s 41st-minute goal roused the Rebels who finished strongly, edging ahead through Conor Lehane and Peter O’Brien before Brian O’Sullivan and Seamus Prendergast secured the draw for the Déise.

In deplorable conditions in Dungarvan, Cork had clawed back an eight-point interval deficit to lead by two entering the dying minutes but in an exciting finish, Waterford applied ferocious pressure and deservedly levelled matters late on through O’Sullivan and Prendergast. Waterford won the toss and played with the strong breeze in the first half. They pressed home that advantage in the opening exchanges. O’Halloran struck over two points from play, Pauric Mahony nailed two frees and Seamus Prendergast added one.

Patrick Horgan pegged one back for the Rebels on 16 minutes but they found it difficult to adapt to the testing conditions. It was to prove their last score of the half as Waterford hit five points without reply. The Waterford half-back line of Jamie Nagle, Michael Walsh and Kevin Moran stamped their authority on a scrappy affair and the forwards kept the scoreboard ticking over. Shane O’Sullivan, Brian O’Sullivan and Seamus Prendergast were all on target from play before Pauric Mahony and goalkeeper Stephen O’Keeffe landed frees to give a dominant Déise side a healthy half-time buffer.

On the resumption, the sodden surface continued to cut up but wind-assisted Cork received a boost when corner forward Moylan was quickest to react to whip the sliotar to the net. Four swift points from the Rebels brought them back to within two (0-11 to 1-06), but Waterford bounced back through Pauric Mahony and Brian O’Sullivan to leave them four points up by the close of the third quarter. Jimmy Barry-Murphy introduced William Egan and Conor Lehane and it had the desired effect as two points from the accurate Patrick Horgan and one from Lehane made it 0-13 to 1-09 entering the closing stages.

The Glen Rovers man equalised from a ’65’ with five minutes remaining before Lehane nudged Cork in front for the first time. Peter O’Brien extended their lead to two but Waterford rallied again. Brian O’Sullivan reduced the arrears to the minimum as Michael Ryan’s men bombarded the Cork goal. Net minder Anthony Nash produced two eye-catching saves before Prendergast conjured up the equaliser in the last minute of normal time.

Waterford scorers: P Mahony 0-05 (0-05f), S Prendergast, B O’Sullivan 0-03 each, B O’Halloran 0-02, S O’Sullivan, S O’Keeffe (0-0f) 0-1 each

Cork scorers: P Horgan 0-07 (0-05f, 0-01 ’65’), S Moylan 1-01, C Lehane 0-02, C McCarthy, P O’Brien 0-01 each

Waterford: S O’Keeffe; S Daniels, L Lawlor, S Fives; J Nagle, M Walsh, K Moran; S O’Sullivan, D Fives; B O’Halloran, P Mahony, S Prendergast; J Dillon, B O’Sullivan, S Walsh.

Subs used: P Prendergast for D Fives (26 mins), J Barron for S Walsh (44), M Shanahan for O’Halloran (62), R Barry for B O’Sullivan (68).

Cork: A Nash; S O’Neill, S McDonnell, C O’Sullivan; C Joyce, P Cronin, S White; L McLoughlin, D Kearney; C McCarthy, P O’Sullivan, S Harnedy; S Moylan, P O’Brien, P Horgan.

Subs used: C Lehane for Harnedy (48 mins), W Egan for McDonnell (54), T Kenny for McLoughlin (62), M Walsh for Kearney (65), L O’Farrell for P O’Sullivan (66).

Referee: Alan Kelly (Galway)

Team News

Jimmy Barry-Murphy has made three changes to the Cork hurling team for this Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League Division IA game against Waterford.

Two of the changes see players making their first league starts for Cork. Kildorrery’s Peter O’Brien is named at full-forward for what will be his Allianz League debut. He replaces Luke O’Farrell, while the other personnel change sees newcomer Seamus Harnedy replace Conor Lehane in the half-forward line.

Captain Pa Cronin returns from suspension to line out at midfield alongside Daniel Kearney, with Lorcan McLoughlin moving back to number six. William Egan makes way for Cronin, dropping to the bench, with Christopher Joyce taking his place at left half back, having played at centre half back in the win over Waterford on February 23.

CORK (SH v Waterford): A Nash; S O’Neill, S McDonnell, C O’Sullivan; S White, L McLoughlin, C Joyce; P Cronin, D Kearney; C McCarthy, P O’Sullivan, S Harnedy; S Moylan, P O’Brien, P Horgan

Waterford Senior Hurling Team to play Cork on Sunday in Fraher Field, Dungarvan at 2.00pm in Round 2 of the Allianz Hurling League (Div. 1A)

1. Stephen O’Keeffe Ballygunner

2. Shane Fives Carrigtwohill

3. Liam Lawlor Fourmilewater

4. Stephen Daniels De La Salle

5. Jamie Nagle Dungarvan

6. Michael Walsh Stradbally

7. Kevin Moran (CAPT.) De La Salle

8. Shane O’Sullivan Ballygunner

9. Darragh Fives Tourin

10. Brian O’Halloran Clashmore/Kinsalebeg

11. Seamus Prendergast Ardmore

12. Jake Dillon De La Salle

13 Brian O’Sullivan Ballygunner

14. Shane Walsh Fourmilewater

15. Pauric Mahony Ballygunner