Goals in either half from Jamie Barron and Stephen Bennett drove Davy Fitzgerald’s side to an unexpected victory in front of 11,973 fans in the April sunshine. Three-time All Star Barron dazzled with 1-3 from play on his 100th senior appearance. New free taker Dessie Hutchinson hit ten points for the white and blue. Calum Lyons, Michael Kiely, Jack Prendergast, Darragh Lyons and Neil Montgomery also produced big moments.

Alan Connolly’s late goal couldn’t rescue Cork. A black card for Ciaran Joyce and two yellows for Damien Cahalane hurt Pat Ryan’s men.

Walsh Park erupted after just 90 seconds when Jamie Barron sprinted onto a puckout and burst the top corner of the net. The perfect way to mark his 100th senior appearance. Dessie Hutchinson was handed the free taking duties but the Ballygunner ace missed his first. The hosts raced 1-4 to 0-1 ahead by the tenth minute with Michael Kiely, Barron and Jack Prendergast all split the uprights. The Rebels with three unanswered points via Patrick Horgan (free), Darragh Fitzgibbon and Alan Connolly.

Pat Ryan’s registered eight first half wides as Waterford moved seven clear. Stephen Bennett belted over two from play while Hutchinson hit two frees.

The pace of the Deise half forward line caused Cork problems. On 22 minutes, a last ditch block from Mark Colmean denied Michael Kiely a goal.

Despite their erratic shooting, three Darragh Fitzgibbon points from play kept Cork in the contest. Waterford missed four placed balls in the opening half but reached the dressing rooms four in front (1-11 to 0-10). Calum Lyons landed a long range effort in injury time for Davy Fitzgerald’s men.

Mark Coleman moved to midfield for the start of the second half and pointed within ten seconds. Tommy O’Connell man marked Jamie Barron. Fitzggibon’s fourth point left just the bare minimum between the sides.

Barron got a beauty from the stand sideline. On 42 minutes, Stephen Bennett soloed through on the Cork goal but Patrick Collins thwarted him. Alan Connolly won a free at the other end and Horgan converted. A foul on Fitzgibbon gave Horgan the chance to level (1-13 to 0-16).

Neil Montgomery regained the lead for the Deise. Calum Lyons from play and Hutchinson from a free left a goal in it. Seamus Harnedy and Alan Connolly hit back for Cork. Hutchinson added two frees to his tally entering the last quarter.

With thirteen minutes left, Jack Prendergast fetched a ball and was pulled down by Ciaran Joyce. Referee Michael Kennedy flashed a black card to the Cork defender and Stephen Bennett buried the penalty in the corner of Patrick Collins’ net (2-18 to 0-19). Seamus Harnedy and Ger Mellerick sliced the gap to three.

On 62 minutes, the visitors were reduced to thirteen men when Damien Cahalane received his second yellow. Late points from Hutchinson and Calum Lyons gave the leaders a five point cushion. Davy Fitzgerald’s charges got a fright however when Alan Connolly billowed the net in the last minute. In a grandstand finish, like Waterford-Cork battles of old, Patrick Curran and Hutchinson eased the nerves of the home supporters with injury time white flags.

Scorers for Waterford: Dessie Hutchinson 0-10 (9fs), Jamie Barron, Stephen Bennett (1-0 penalty, 1f) 1-3 each, Calum Lyons 0-3, Patrick Curran, Jack Prendergast 0-2 each. Neil Montgomery, Michael Kiely 0-1 each.

Scorers for Cork: Alan Connolly 1-4 (2fs), Patrick Horgan 0-7 (7fs), Darragh Fitzgibbon 0-4, Shane Barrett 0-3, Seamus Harnedy 0-2, Ger Mellerick, Mark Coleman, Conor Lehane, Robbie O’Flynn, Brian Hayes 0-1 each.

WATERFORD: Shaun O’Brien; Iarlaith Daly, Conor Prunty, Kieran Bennett; Calum Lyons, Tadhg De Burca, Mark Fitzgerald; Darragh Lyons, Neil Montgomery; Michael Kiely, Jack Prendergast, Jamie Barron; Kevin Mahony, Stephen Bennett, Dessie Hutchinson.

Subs: Patrick Fitzgerald for Mahony (58), Patrick Curran for Montgomery (63), Padraig Fitzgerald for Kiely (73).

CORK: Patrick Collins; Ger Mellerick, Damien Cahalane, Sean O’Donoghue; Robert Downey, Ciaran Joyce, Mark Coleman; Tommy O’Connell, Darragh Fitzgibbon; Sean Twomey, Conor Lehane, Seamus Harnedy; Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly, Patrick Horgan.

Subs: Robbie O’Flynn for Twomey (HT), Brian Hayes for Lehane (52), Luke Meade for Harnedy (60), Eoin Downey for Horgan (64), Jack O’Connor for Coleman (71).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary)

Munster SFC Semi-Final

Kerry 0-18 Cork 1-12

By Paul Brennan at Fitzgerald Stadium

Not the most convincing victory for defending Munster champions Kerry, but they will appreciate that Cork can always be a stone in their shoe in these Championship games in Killarney and so will take the win and move on.

While most would have expected a somewhat bigger margin of victory for the Kingdom, Cork brought their best performance of the year to a sun-drenched Fitzgerald Stadium and kept the home side honest and under pressure for the bones of an hour.

Thereafter, Kerry found a little more within themselves, in particular the ability to pick off some hard-earned scores, and saw out a decent contest to win by three.

That it took the defending champions 50 minutes to get out in front of a Cork team that started brilliantly will give Kerry manager Jack O’Connor food for thought between here and a Munster final in a fortnight.

That Cork started so well, but then not so much burned out but faded away will occupy John Cleary’s thoughts between here and the All-Ireland series in mid May

The Rebels had raced into a 1-6 to 0-5 lead, helped by Paul Walsh’s goal in the fifth minute and Paudie Clifford’s goal miss in the sixth minute.

Ahead of a 17,568 crowd under welcome sunshine at Fitzgerald Stadium, Cork took the lead in the first minute through Conor Corbett and then Walsh struck for the game’s only goal after neat approach play from Brian O’Driscoll and Ian Maguire. Too soon to think they might get their first Championship win in Killarney since 1995? Probably.

Points from Dara Moynihan, Cillian Burke (on his Championship debut) and Tom O’Sullivan had the scores level, 1-1 to 0-4, after 10 minutes before livewire Brian Hurley converted three points in a five-minute spell to put Cork in control again.

By the 18th minute Cork were 1-6 to 0-5 ahead, but they would only manage another half dozen points in the remaining 57 minutes. A pair of points each from Sean O’Shea and David Clifford sheared Cork’s lead to just one at the interval, 1-7 to 0-9.

Hurley found the range with a couple of frees in the third quarter, but Kerry were starting to find a little more rhythm and energy, and Moynihan, O’Shea and Tom O’Sullivan converted before David Clifford’s point in the 50th minute put the Kingdom ahead for the first time.

Thereafter it all played out as expected. Though Cork were still within a point by the 57th minute,

Graham O’Sullivan, Sean O’Shea and Tom O’Sullivan iced a point apiece for Kerry with only Hurley really carrying the same scoring threat for the Rebels.

Cork needed a second goal to get back into it, but it never really looked like coming. They will take plenty of heart from their best 70 minutes of the season and have some time now to fine-tune themselves for the All-Ireland series.

Kerry move on to a Munster final in a fortnight where improvement will be expected.

Scorers for Kerry: S O’Shea 0-6 (3fs), D Clifford 0-4 (1f), T O’Sullivan 0-3, D Moynihan 0-2, G O’Sullivan 0-1, C Burke 0-1, P Geaney 0-1.

Scorers for Cork: B Hurley 0-8 (4fs), P Walsh 1-0, C Corbett 0-2 (1m), M Taylor 0-1, C Óg Jones 0-1.

Kerry: Shane Ryan, Paul Murphy, Tadhg Morley, Tom O’Sullivan, Graham O’Sullivan, Gavin White, Seán O’Brien, Diarmuid O’Connor, Joe O’Connor, Adrian Spillane, Paudie Clifford, Cillian Burke, David Clifford, Seán O’Shea, Dara Moynihan.

Subs: Paul Geaney for Burke (ht), Stephen O’Brien for A Spillane (48), Mike Breen for S O’Brien (62), Tony Brosnan for D Moynihan (64), Barry Dan O’Sullivan for J O’Connor (70+1).

Cork: Christopher Kelly; Kevin Flahive, Daniel O’Mahony, Maurice Shanley; Luke Fahy, Tommy Walsh, Matty Taylor; Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Seán Powter, Brian O’Driscoll; Chris Óg Jones, Conor Corbett, Brian Hurley.

Subs: Sean Meehan for M Shanley (35+1), Ruairí Deane for S Powter (45), Steven Sherlock for Jones (53), Mark Cronin for P Walsh (58), Kevin O’Donovan for T Walsh (inj, 60).

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)