Hurlers secure final berth after Déise scare

The Rebels may have struggled to get going on Sunday afternoon, but they showed a real backbone, writes Diarmuid Sheehan

S always, The Rolling Stones said it first and best, and last Sunday one of their most famous lines was never more apt on a sporting field.

For 35 minutes “You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes, you get what you need” was definitely the case for Cork’s senior hurlers in Thurles as a Waterford side that had already conceded their championship ambitions for this year came and shook up the party with a display that had all in red and white reeling for most of the allotted 70 minutes.

Expectations on Leeside have been on the rise ever since this season’s competition started and last Sunday for more than 60 minutes Cork were second best and as the stones put it “got what they needed” a taste of reality.

While the players and management would never have taken Waterford for granted before or during this tie, the supporters may have been getting a little ahead of themselves and that particular failing may well have got the taste of reality it deserved.

Cork came into the last round robin game with a place in the Munster Final at stake, while for the Déise nothing but pride was on the table, but few could ignore the importance of that particular trait as the men in blue and white took a five point lead at the break. 0-15 to 0-11.

Cork played against the wind in the first half, but found most of the tricks that had served them well to that point deserting them as Waterford took control – on and off the scoreboard.

Pauric Mahony was imperious in the middle for Waterford bagging seven points in an opening half that was all about the vanquished men, but it was the manner of the scores that will have troubled the Rebels as Mahony seemed to be as good as free for his five first half points from play.

Cork looked all at sea with short passes and diagonal balls to the corners not finding men on far too many occasions. The middle saw Bill Cooper and Darragh Fitzgibbon pretty absent as Waterford dragged the ball to the wings and happy to shoot from distance.

While there was always a sense that Cork had it in them to pull this one back the early poor showing did have people thinking this could ultimately be another damp squid for the men in red and with Waterford just staying in control, time looked like it was running out for the reigning provincial champions, but Cork are made of strong stuff and while some of the comeback must go down to fatigue in the Waterford ranks Cork did manage to pull away at the end and that would have pleased all Cork fans.

So where did it go wrong for the Rebels, well simply, everywhere. Cork’s wayward shooting saw them record more than twice what Waterford managed 15 – 7. Defensively Cork were poor for long periods with Christopher Joyce, Eoin Cadogan and Seán O’Donoghue all failing to impress for the first half, however, Joyce in particular stepped up to the plate later on and gave