McGrath Cup Football – Cork 3-19 Waterford 1-5

Cork defeated Waterford by 3-19 to 1-5 in the McGrath Cup Football Group B Round 2 on Thursday January 14th at Mallow.

Cork saunter past Waterford to McGrath Cup final

By Eoghan Cormican for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Three first-half goals eased Cork past the hapless challenge of 13-man Waterford in this massively one-sided and ultimately futile McGrath Cup fixture. Peadar Healy’s side will face Clare in the final next Friday night and the Rebel footballers can be certain of a far stiffer examination.

Waterford were put out of sight before ever kicking a single score in Mallow yesterday evening. Tom McGlinchey’s side had been hit for 2-2 when Paul Whyte opened their account on 14 minutes, the gap stretching out to 15-points come half-time: Cork 3-10 to 0-4.

For the winners, the damage was done as early as the 10th minute, Peter Kelleher fisting to the net Daniel Goulding’s attempted point. The green flag was a near carbon copy of Cork’s opening goal after seven minutes, Andrew O’Sullivan fisting the ball past incoming Waterford ’keeper Sean Barron in a sweeping move which involved Ian Maguire, Tom Clancy and James Loughrey. Two Ruairí Deane points followed Kelleher’s effort and, though the clock read just 13 minutes, Cork were effectively out of sight.

Waterford full-forward Whyte, as noted, broke their duck inside the quarter hour and, while he and Shaun Corcoran (a free) swelled their tally after a Daniel Goulding free, the six points that separated the sides on 19 minutes — 2-3 to 0-3 read the scoreboard — was as close as Waterford would come to their opponents.

The visitors would fail to add to their tally in the subsequent 17 minutes of action, during which Healy’s charges hit an unanswered 1-7. Peter Kelleher, with an auspicious chip to lob ’keeper Barron, registered Cork’s third major of the evening on 24 minutes. Cork tails were by this juncture high and Mark Collins (0-2), Brian Hurley (a free), Daniel Goulding (0-2), Luke Connolly, and Bart Daly all added their names to the scoresheet. Indeed, Connolly’s kick approaching the interval break put all six starting forwards on the board.

The home outfit, for whom Daniel Goulding and Ruarí Deane impressed, refused to let up in the second period and were it not for a fine save from substitute keeper Stephen Enright, Mark Collins was in for Cork goal number four. As it was, sub Brian Coughlan, Hurley (0-3) and Goulding extended their lead out to 19-points.

In a rare breach of the Cork full-back line on 51 minutes, Conor Prunty and Paul Whyte put through Corcoran for a well-taken goal, but, aside from Whyte’s third minor on 56 minutes, the Deise would not trouble the Cork posts for the remainder of the game. In fairness, their cause wasn’t helped by having to play out the closing stages with 13-men.

Having rung five changes at the break and using their sixth and final substitution to replace the injured Liam Lawlor on 41 minutes, Waterford were unable to replace the black-carded Peter Crowley on 55 minutes and their misery was compounded when midfielder Tommy Prendergast hobbled off injured before the finish.

Seamus Hickey, Jamie Davis and two more from the lively Goulding rounded out this 20 point hammering. Revenge for Clashmore 12 months ago.

Scorers for Cork: D Goulding (0-6, 0-1 free); P Kelleher (2-0); B Hurley (0-4, 0-3 frees); A O’Sullivan (1-0); R Deane, M Collins (0-2 each); B Daly, L Connolly, J Davis, B Coughlan, S Hickey (0-1 each).

Scorers for Waterford: S Corcoran (1-1); P Whyte (0-3); M O’Halloran (0-1).

CORK: B O’Connell; C O’Driscoll, J O’Sullivan, K Histon; T Clancy, J Loughrey, B Daly; I Maguire, A O’Sullivan; Mark Collins (0-2), L Connolly, R Deane; D Goulding, P Kelleher, B Hurley.
Subs: B Coughlan for Connolly (HT), J Davis for Histon (HT), S Hickey for Maguire (47 mins), K O’Hanlon for Deane (53), L Harrington for Loughrey (57), Mark Collins for O’Driscoll (62).

WATERFORD: S Barron; T Ó hÚllacháin, T O’Gorman, B Looby; M Curry, J McGarth, R O Ceallaigh; C Prunty, T Prendergast; D Power, D Breathnach, D Allen; S Corcoran, P Whyte, M O’Halloran.
Subs: S Enright for Barron (HT), M O’Gorman for Ó Ceallaigh (HT), JJ Hutchinson for Breathnach (HT), G Crotty for Allen (HT), L Lawlor for Power (HT), L Ó Curráin for Lawlor (41 mins, inj).

Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary)

Team News

Waterford Senior Football team named to play @OfficialCorkGAA on Thursday night in the Mallow GAA Complex @8pm!! https://t.co/wHTV0tHAI3

— Waterford GAA (@WaterfordGAA) January 12, 2016

Waterford Senior Football Team v Cork

The Senior Football Team to face Cork in Mallow in the McGrath Cup on Thursday night at 8pm has just being named.

1. Sean Barron (Ardmore)
2. Tadhg O’Hullachain (An Rinn)
3. Thomas O’Gorman (Nire)
4. Brian Looby (Ballinacourty)
5. Michael Curry (Rathgormack)
6. James McGrath (Nire)
7. Ray O’Ceallaigh (An Rinn)
8. Conor Prunty (Ballinacourty)
9. Tommy Prendergast (Kilrossanty)
10. Michael O’Halloran (Ballinacourty)
11. Donie Breathnach (An Rinn)
12. Declan Allen (Clashmore)
13. David Power (Kilrossanty)
14. Paul Whyte (Kilrossanty)
15. Shaun Corcoran (St. Saviours)

Cork Team for Cork v Waterford (McGrath Cup) https://t.co/w3JXqQAham

— Cork GAA (@OfficialCorkGAA) January 14, 2016

The Cork Senior Football team to play Waterford on Thursday at 8pm in Mallow has been named as follows:

Brendan O Connell (Glanmire)
Colm O Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)
Jamie O Sullivan (Bishopstown)
Kieran Histon (Cobh)
Tomas Clancy (Fermoy)
James Loughrey (Mallow)
Bart Daly (Newmarket)
Ian Maguire (St Finbarrs)
Ruairi Deane (Bantry Blues)
Andrew O Sullivan (Castletownbere)
Luke Connolly (Nemo Rangers)
Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
Daniel Goulding (Eire Og)
Peter Kelleher (Kilmichael)
Brian Hurley (Castlehaven)
Subs:
16. Ken O Halloran (Bishopstown)
17. Jamie Davis (Douglas)
18. Lorcan Harrington (Castletownbere)
19. Mark Collins (O Donovan Rossa)
20. Killian O Hanlon (Kilshannig)
21. Brian Coughlan (Kinsale)
22. Dan McEoin (Ilen Rovers)
23. Seamus Hickey (Rockchapel)
24. Kevin O Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh)