Cork 1-21 Waterford 1-21
The knock-out stages of the 2014 senior hurling championship picked up where 2013 left off as Cork and Waterford played out a heart-stopping draw in Semple Stadium this afternoon.
Pat Horgan's 12th point of the day from a close-range free ensured that the two teams will get another day out in a fortnight and it will be Cork who will go into that game with all the momentum after they retrieved a nine-point deficit midway through the second half. Substitute Bill Cooper kick-started their revival with a scrambled goal and with Horgan and Alan Cadogan in fine scoring form, the Rebels gradually reeled in their neighbours.
Waterford’s youthful XV started with real enthusiasm and passion and it looked for long stretches of the opening half as if playing in division 1A for the spring gave them a real head start on their division 1B opponents.
Debutants Tadhg Burke and Austin Gleeson, as well as several other senior players, really asserted themselves in the early stages of the tie and they helped Waterford to score five of the first six points.
A well worked Alan Cadogan point that bore all the hallmarks of their 2013 style – careful passing out of defence and good use of the full width of the pitch – reduced that gap but that was one of very few instances of Cork showing their natural ability in a first half that was dominated by the outsiders.
Cork threatened to build up some momentum as the first half drew to a close but Patrick Horgan's 20-metre free sailed over the crossbar while Anthony Nash watched from his own goal, then Austin Gleeson responded with a stunning score to make it 0-13 to 0-7 at the break.
Pat Horgan’s opening second-half score, his fourth of the match and first from play, again threatened to change the momentum of the tie but Waterford held on in there and shared the next four points before really taking control with a simply sublime Gleeson run and strike into the top corner of Nash’s net.
Shane Walsh and Pauric Mahony added scores to further add to the lead but even with Derek McGrath making frequent changes to freshen up his team, they couldn't resist a late Cork surge, initiated by Cooper's scrambled goal from close range, bundled over the line after Horgan's initial effort was parried by Stephen O'Keeffe.
Horgan added two more points from play and Cadogan also took some fine points as Cork gradually reeled in their opponents and it was completely against the run of play when Seamus Prendergast pointed to give Waterford a one point lead in injury time.
McGrath’s liberal use of substitutions was to come back and haunt him however as Gleeson hobbled through the closing stages of the tie with an injury and as he tried to tackle Nash making a clearance, he dragged down the Cork custodian and allowed Horgan to tap over a free kick from the edge of the semi-circle, where the sliothar dropped.
CORK: A Nash; S O'Neill, D Cahalane, S McDonnell; C Joyce, M Ellis, L McLoughlin; D Kearney, A Walsh 0-2 (0-1 sideline); C McCarthy, C Lehane 0-1, P Cronin; A Cadogan 0-4, S Harnedy 0-1, P Horgan 0-12 (0-8f, 0-1 '65). Subs: B Cooper 1-1 for McCarthy (half-time), B Lawton for Kearney (50 mins), S Moylan for Cronin (52 mins), J Coughlan for Harnedy (64 mins).
WATERFORD: S O'Keeffe; N Connors, L Lawlor, B Coughlan 0-1; J Nagle 0-1, K Moran, T Burke 0-1; M Walsh, E Barrett; A Gleeson 1-2 (0-1 sideline), J Dillon 0-1, P Mahony 0-11 (0-9f); C Dunford, S Walsh 0-1, B O'Sullivan 0-2.
Subs: R Foley for Barrett (21), S Fives for Coughlan (42), R Barry for Dunford (47), D Breathnach for Dillon (52), S Prendergast 0-1 for Walsh (58)
Referee: Brian Gavin (Offaly)