Three-goal Cork minors lay down serious marker with win over Waterford

Cork 3-19

Waterford 0-15

Cork set down a serious marker in the Munster Minor Hurling Championship on Tuesday night seeing off Waterford by 13 points in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

The young Rebels went at their provincial opponents from the first ball and never let up, bagging three majors along the way to suck the life out of the visitors at all the right times.

Led in the scoring stakes by Barry Walsh and Barry O’Flynn (3-12 between the pair) Cork looked solid from the off, clinical when given the chance and in truth far the more rounded side at the finish.

Zack Biggane from Charleville, Johnny Murphy from Dromina and Oisín O’Callaghan from Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels all did really well as Kieran ‘Fraggy’ Murphy’s side set their stall outr as one of the favoured sides for this season’s championship.

For the vanquished side, Colm Hartley was immense, but in truth never likely to be able to knock Cork off their stride on his own. Walsh got Cork of the mark inside a minute with a free after a hefty Waterford challenge in front of the visiting side’s posts.

O’Flynn followed up that early free with a superb point from the right wing as Cork looked to show their intent early.

Charleville’s Biggane followed O’Flynn’s effort less than a minute later with an even better score from a similar location – Cork really rocking early on with Waterford struggling to retain the ball in the Cork half back line.

Both sides did have too many wides early on with Cork also winning that battle, but Waterford would settle down in the seventh minute with a tasty score from Conor Tobin on a near perfect pitch for competitive hurling.

Seán Mackey cut the gap to the minimum with a score from half way before a huge pointed free from Hartley levelled thing up on the stroke of 10 minutes.

Points from O’Flynn and Walsh had Cork back in front with Hartley keeping the visitors in touch, but Cork would land the first major blow of the evening when Killeagh’s Walsh found Sarsfields’ O’Flynn and the full-forward made no mistake with a bullet to the top corner.

Gearóid Power raised white for Waterford on the restart, but this time Finn O’Brien was on target to keep Cork four in front as the game past the quarter hour mark. Waterford lost their opening tie the previous week to Limerick so needed to stay in this one, but again O’Flynn was on target as Cork went double scores in front – 1-7 to 0-5.

A Hartley brace and one from Mackey in response were again significant, but O’Flynn continued to increase his tally at the other end as the rain fell on what was fast becoming a greasy surface.

A Hartley free again kept the pressure on Cork, but a wonder strike from Walsh on 28 minutes, followed by a point from Biggane moments later, pushed the gap out to eight with just over a minute to the interval.

A brilliant save from Cork keeper Oisín Walsh kept the margin high – Hartley landing the resultant 65 to send the sides in Cork 2-11, Waterford 0-10.

O’Flynn got the ball rolling inside 15 seconds of the second period heaping more pressure on the Déise with Hartley responding with a long range effort. Cork hit back almost immediately with an attack that resulted in a penalty for the home side – a penalty despatched to the bottom left corner from Walsh.

Conor McCarthy and Eoin Barry traded points with Walsh, O’Flynn (two) and James O’Leary adding to Waterford’s woes with classy scores.

Cork continued to add to their tally in impressive fashion as the management emptied the bench – with Hartley for Waterford never giving up with a very credible 11 points to his name.

Cork can now move on to their second game next Tuesday night where they will again take to the Páirc Uí Chaoimh turf, this time they will face a Tipperary side in desperate need of a result. Another big test for the young Leeside men.

CORK: O Walsh (Youghal); O O’Callaghan (Liscarroll Churchtown Gaels), D McCarthy (Passage), C Cronin (Midleton); C O’Callaghan (Kiltha Óg), Ben Walsh (Killeagh), D O’Leary (Ballincollig); J O’Leary (Lisgoold) 0-1, Conor McCarthy (Glen Rovers); J Murphy (Dromina), Z Biggane (Charleville) 0-1, Barry Walsh (Killeagh) 2-5 (1-0pen, 4f); S Meade (Killeagh), B O’Flynn (Sarsfields) 1-7, F O’Brien (Erin’s Own) 0-1 Subs: R Dooley (Douglas) 0-1 for Meade, S O’Callaghan (Aghada) for Cronin (both 48), P Walsh (Carrigtwohill) 0-1 for O’Brien (52), Conor McCarthy (St Finbarr’s) 0-2 for Conor McCarthy (Glen Rovers) (both 56)

WATERFORD: L Lannon; T Ahern, D Ryan, L Lynch; E Barry, C O’Sullivan, A Hickey; D Comerford, C Carroll; P Walsh, S Mackey 0-2, G Power; A Regan, C Tobin 0-1, C Hartley 0-11 (8f, 1.65) Subs: C Lineen for Walsh (half-time), C Deevy 0-1 for Barry (41, injured), E Burke for Hickey (47), P Power for Lynch (56), S Kelly for Hartley (59)

REFEREE: A Tierney (Tipperary)