Waterford hurlers crash out of Munster Championship
A dejected Ian Kenny leaves the field after Waterford's defeat Photo: ©INPHO/James Crombie
The Waterford hurlers bowed out of the 2025 championship in front of 42,181 at a breezy Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday afternoon. Second half goals from Brian Hayes and Patrick Horgan saw a nervy Cork progress to a Munster final against Limerick. The Rebels finished the game with sixteen wides (eleven in the second half).
Pat Ryan's men led by eight with twenty minutes left but a Stephen Bennett goal sparked a Waterford rally. Another Bennett goal attempt came off the butt of the post a minute later. That proved a key moment as did Brian Hayes' goal right at the start of the second half.
The Waterford team showed one late change as Kieran Bennett replaced the injured Iarlaith Daly. Three switches in total from the loss to Tipperary with Seán Walsh and Patrick Fitzgerald in for Dessie Hutchinson and Kevin Mahony up front.
Stand-in captain Conor Prunty won the toss and chose to play with the strong wind towards the Blackrock goal. Mark Fitzgerald lined up at centre back with Tadhg De Burca switched to the wing. Cork recovered from four down to go in 13-12 up at the break.
After a Billy Nolan wide, Jack Prendergast split the posts with 67 seconds elapsed. Nolan made amends with a converted free. Patrick Horgan replied with one of his own before Seán Walsh got off the mark.
In the seventh minute, Stephen Bennett was dragged down by Mark Coleman as he bore down on goal. Déise players and management appealed for a black card penalty but referee Johnny Murphy decided not to show any card. Bennett went for goal off the close range free but saw his effort blocked down. Wind assisted Waterford continued to dominate with cousins Patrick and Mark Fitzgerald on target. 5-1 to the visitors after ten minutes.
Mark Coleman, Alan Connolly and Patrick Horgan (free) narrowed the gap to one. Darragh Fitzgibbon then took too long over a free. Johnny Murphy threw the ball in and Michael Kiely fired over.
Cork wing forward Seamus Harnedy proved elusive in the first half. He scored two points and shot two wides. Shane Barrett nudged the Rebels ahead for the first time on 19 minutes.
Two points apiece from Michael Kiely, Seán Walsh and Patrick Fitzgerald put Waterford back in front approaching half time. Kieran Bennett also cracked over a huge score from his own half. The away side struck five first half wides and left two short. Ian Kenny, Conor Prunty and Gavin Fives fronted up to the Cork full forward line in that opening half but Connolly sent over two late points to edge hosts 13-12 ahead at the break.
Off the throw in, Tim O'Mahony turned over Paddy Leavey and the men in red smelt blood. Fitzgibbon found Brian Hayes who shrugged off Billy Nolan and flicked the ball home. Horgan's sixth free made it 1-14 to 0-12.
Cork didn't kick on however as four wides followed. The best chance fell to Shane Barrett blazed a shot across the face of goal and wide. Two Stephen Bennett frees and one each from dangerous inside duo Walsh and Fitzgerald trimmed the deficit to one.
Seamus Harnedy again found himself in space off a Cork puckout and steadied Pat Ryan's men with his third point. Horgan added a free. On 49 minutes, a Ger Millerick delivery found Hayes who laid off to Horgan and the Glen Rovers ace blasted to the far corner. Points from Hayes and Barrett extended the gap to eight.
Patrick Fitzgerald was surprisingly substituted after shooting three points from play. Darragh Lyons was then carried off the field.
A long range Nolan free came off the metalwork when Mark Coleman fumbled the catch under the crossbar. Dessie Hutchinson tapped over a point on his introduction. With twelve minutes left, Bennett won a ball in front of Eoin Downey and fired a bullet under Patrick Collins. A minute later, Bennett sent a daisy cutter off the butt of the post. Fine margins. Jack Prendergast still got a point off the rebound (2-18 to 1-18).
Despite hitting sixteen wides, Cork pulled themselves together. Points by Darragh Fitzgibbon and substitute Shane Kingston gave them breathing space. Austin Gleeson made his entrance on 61 minutes. Seán Walsh was the man to make way despite his contribution of three points from play.
A couple of Bennett frees left a goal between them entering four added minutes. Injury time points from Diarmuid Healy, Cormac O'Brien, Fitzgibbon and Conor Lehane sealed a six point victory for the Leesiders.
