Barry Walsh leads Rebel rout of Waterford as Cork get off to winning start

Munster MHC round 2: Cork 3-19 Waterford 0-15

Cork minor hurling coach Kieran Murphy. Photo: Sportsfile

Stephen Barry

Two highlight-reel goals set Cork up for a winning start to their Munster minor hurling campaign, beating Waterford by 13 points.

Barry Walsh fired 2-5 and Barry O’Flynn an impressive 1-7 all from play as Kieran Murphy’s side inflicted a second group-stage defeat on Waterford.

After a brief pre-match power cut at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork sparked into a seven-point half-time lead, 2-11 to 0-10.

The first goal came in the 14th minute after Walsh found O’Flynn with an enticing crossfield ball. The Sarsfields flyer still had plenty to do but did it expertly, sending a thunderous shot to the top corner from an acute angle.

O’Flynn had added four points to his tally by the 22nd minute, while Leon Lannon kept Waterford in touch with a superb save from Seán Meade.

But he was beaten again before the break after Finn O’Brien intercepted a short puck-out. There still appeared to be a low level of danger until Walsh unleashed a bullet to the bottom corner from over 25 metres out.

Colm Hartley (0-10) led the way on placed balls, while Seán Mackey had two points and almost added a goal only for a fine Oisín Walsh save.

Cork didn’t ease up early in the second half. Meade was hauled down by Aodhán Hickey for a penalty and Barry Walsh applied another low, driven finish to the net.

The Rebels had eight first-half wides but they tightened up their shooting with a run of five white flags on the trot.

At the other end, Oisín Walsh kept his clean sheet with a string of saves from Mackey, Hartley, Adam Regan, and David Comerford.

SCORERS – Cork: Barry Walsh 2-5 (1-0p, 0-4f); B O’Flynn 1-7; C McCarthy (Glen Rovers) 0-2; J O’Leary, Z Biggane, F O’Brien, P Walsh, R Dooley 0-1 each. Waterford: C Hartley 0-10 (8f, 1 65); S Mackey 0-2; E Barry, G Power, C Tobin 0-1 each.

CORK – O Walsh; O O’Callaghan, D McCarthy, C Cronin; C O’Callaghan, Ben Walsh, D O’Leary; J O’Leary, C McCarthy (Glen Rovers); J Murphy, Z Biggane, Barry Walsh; S Meade, B O’Flynn, F O’Brien. Subs: R Dooley for Meade (48), S O’Callaghan for Cronin (48), P Walsh for O’Brien (52), C McCarthy (St Finbarr’s) for Murphy (54), O O'Connell for C McCarthy (Glen Rovers) (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, G Power; A Regan, C Tobin, C Hartley. Subs: C Lineen for Walsh (h-t), C Deevy for Barry (44 inj), E Burke for Hickey (46), P Power for Lynch (56), S Kelly for Hartley (59).

Ref – A Tierney (Tipperary).