Black cards prove costly as Déise dreams go up in smoke
Referee Sean Stack shows Waterford's Mark Fitzgerald a black card in a key moment in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship clash with Cork at Azzurri Walsh Park. Photo: INPHO
Waterford once again fell agonisingly short in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship as black cards proved their detriment amid rising black smoke near Walsh Park - as Cork finished stronger to secure a third successive victory, and the Déise need a miracle to emerge from the embers on to the All-Ireland series.
In a game where the two counties went blow for blow, a Mark Coleman goal from a penalty in the second half proved decisive as small margins continue to befall Waterford, but it must be said Cork were the better team on the day.
The sides were level on eleven occasions in a pulsating first period that saw Waterford lead by the minimum at the interval.
Alan Connolly opened the scoring for the visitors as he wriggled free in the second minute, but a good catch and score from Jack Prendergast got the Déise up and running moments later.
Jamie Barron then coughed up possession to Brian Hayes, before William Buckley got in on the act as the Rebels’ full-forward line made a bright start.
A Sean Mackey strike and an immediate cancellation from Barron kept Waterford motoring, before Sean Walsh played Dessie Hutchinson in on goal on seven minutes; however, he was denied by the onrushing Patrick Collins.
A great score from Barron gave Waterford the lead for the first time, but the unmarkable Hayes levelled again before Hugh O’Connor ebbed the Rebels back to the good. Calum Lyons found space and found the target, before an Alan Connolly free and a Dessie Hutchinson effort kept it nip and tuck.
A Stephen Bennett free was edged back to Waterford, but no one in the Déise backline could successfully quieten Hayes as the St. Finbarr’s forward split the posts once more. Mackey then won a free, which Bennett converted, but Hayes was soon afforded the freedom of Walsh Park to wallop over his fourth.
His fifth from play was cancelled out by Kevin Mahony, before the impressive Calum Lyons reeled off two on the spin to edge momentum to Waterford approaching half-time. With 28 minutes on the clock, William Buckley evaded substitute Conor Keane and squared to an unmarked colleague, but who better than Billy Nolan to save the day! The Déise worked the sliotar upfield, and Sean Walsh scored from the tightest of angles to establish a two-point cushion.
A Connolly free brought the advantage back to the minimum before drama ensued 33 minutes in - Mark Fitzgerald fouled Hayes as he attempted to gather a Tommy O’Connell delivery and referee Sean Stack made no hesitation in issuing the black card to the Passage defender and pointing to the penalty spot.
Up stepped Connolly to drill the sliotar to the bottom right corner, but Nolan was equal to the Blackrock man’s strike and diverted the danger - a second penalty save in the provincial championship by the Roanmore netminder.
From the resultant break, Stephen Bennett attempted a strike off balance and jarred his knee as Waterford’s problems suddenly grew a lot bigger. The Ballysaggart ace couldn’t continue and on came Peter Hogan.
Hugh O’Connor brought about honours even for the tenth time, but two pressure frees were nailed by Hutchinson, either side of Hayes’ sixth and best from play on the left-hand sideline. Waterford led 0-14 to 0-13 at the interval but had suffered serious body blows along the way.
A Hutchinson free and a William Buckley strike renewed the bout, before Prendergast caught Nolan’s puckout and allowed Jamie Barron to fire a momentum builder, and Calum Lyons and Kevin Mahony then combined to put the Déise three in front.
Hayes’ seventh was responded to by Mackey getting on the end of a patient move, but a Connolly free and a Darragh Fitzgibbon belter from well within his own half brought the gap back to a sole point. Goal chances came and went for the visitors as both Hayes and Connolly fired narrowly wide, before at the other end - Eoin Downey made a great covering block to deny Sean Walsh one of his own.
Hutchinson and Fitzgibbon traded scores again before a superb catch by Lyons afforded Mahony the chance to notch his third. A Connolly free cut the lead in half, before a clever piece of skill from Prendergast allowed him to break in behind and split the posts.
Another Connolly dead ball was answered by a Jamie Barron sideline finding Walsh with precision, but Cork were level again on 58 minutes as Buckley was granted acres, before Shane Barrett sent over a pearler, and it was 0-22 each.
Connolly from play gave Cork the lead for the first time in 40 minutes, and the game turned on its head exactly on the hour mark.
As Connolly broke down the right flank and bore toward the Déise goal, he was hauled down by Jack Fagan, and another black card was issued. There did appear to be covering defenders, but referee Stack was in no mood for debate. Mark Coleman stepped up on this occasion, and while Nolan dived the right way, his effort proved too powerful and found the right-hand corner to move the Rebels four in front on 62 minutes.
A Hutchinson free brought it back to a goal, and Waterford very nearly levelled with a goal of their own on 66 minutes as the sliotar was worked to Peter Hogan from a Nolan delivery, but his rasping effort was saved brilliantly by Collins at full stretch.
Connolly and Hutchinson (2) exchanged frees again as Waterford threw the kitchen sink, but it was to no avail - Harnedy and Fitzgibbon knocking over insurance scores to make sure it was a day to remember for the Rebels, and another day of close but no cigar for those in white and blue.
As a fire burnt at the nearby Jute Factory in Waterford, another seemed to be as good as extinguished. Whether or not it can be salvaged will be determined at the Gaelic Grounds next week.
Dessie Hutchinson (0-8; 0-7f); Jamie Barron, Calum Lyons and Kevin Mahony (0-3 each); Stephen Bennett (0-2; 0-2f); Jack Prendergast, Sean Mackey and Sean Walsh (0-2 each)
Alan Connolly (0-9; 0-6f); Brian Hayes (0-7); Mark Coleman (1-0; 1-0 pen); Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-3; 0-1f); William Buckley (0-3); Hugh O’Connor (0-2); Shane Barrett and Seamus Harnedy (0-1 each)
Billy Nolan; Ian Kenny, Mark Fitzgerald, Aaron O’Neill; Jack Fagan, Iarlaith Daly, Calum Lyons; Paddy Leavey, Sean Mackey; Jack Prendergast, Stephen Bennett, Jamie Barron; Dessie Hutchinson, Sean Walsh, Kevin Mahony.
Conor Keane for Ian Kenny (20); Shane Bennett for Iarlaith Daly (22; inj); Peter Hogan for Stephen Bennett (35; inj); Michael Kiely for Kevin Mahony (63); Darragh Lyons for Sean Mackey (64)
Patrick Collins; Niall O’Leary, Damien Cahalane, Sean O’Donoghue; Tommy O’Connell, Eoin Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O’Mahony, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Diarmuid Healy, Shane Barrett, Hugh O’Connor; Alan Connolly, William Buckley, Brian Hayes.
Robbie O’Flynn for Hugh O’Connor (51); Cormac O’Brien for Eoin Downey (53); Seamus Harnedy for Diarmuid Healy (58); Padraig Power for Alan Connolly (69)
Sean Stack (Dublin)
