Cork 1-22; Kilkenny 2-16
The tragic and sudden loss of the brother of Cork manager Pat Ryan put this game in perspective. Nevertheless it was a boost to everyone in the home set up for Cork to win this game in front of 22,193 fans at on Saturday night.
And they can thank Diarmuid Healy, a U-20 star, who scored 1-5 on the night for being the main man in ensuring a home victory to honor former Cork and Sarsfield hurler Ray Ryan.
Before the game, the full Cork panel and backroom team lined up across the 45 for a minute's applause in tribute to the former star with his brother among them wearing a black armband in Ray’s honour.
Cork welcomed back skipper Robert Downey, the ageless Patrick Horgan, new face Healy and Declan Dalton, after serving his suspension, in a side that had 11 of last year’s All-Ireland final team on view.
Both sides were tentative in the scoring stakes early on and the game came to life when the aforementioned Horgan broke Tim O’Mahony’s free in the direction of Healy, who went for goal and duly delivered.
Kilkenny responded almost immediately with Billy Ryan intercepting Niall O’Leary’s fluffed pass and his shot just got past Patrick Collins in goal.
Six minutes before the break the Cats hit the front when Eoin Cody pulled one-handed and the sliotar went to Stephen Donnelly who struck home. A brace of Cian Kenny points saw them lead 2-9 to 1-10 at half-time.
Cork came out with more fight in their bellies and slowly edged back in front by 1-17 to 2-13 when the ageless TJ Reid was introduced with nine minutes left. He looked to have got through for a goal to level the game at the end but Damian Cahalane blocked his effort.
Cork: P Collins; G Millerick, N O’Leary, E Downey; C Joyce (0-1), R Downey, M Mullins; D Fitzgibbon (0-1), T O’Mahony (0-2); D Dalton, S Barrett (0-2), D Healy (1-5); B Hayes, R O’Flynn, P Horgan (0-10, 0-6f, 0-1 65) Subs: D Cahalane for Millerick (27, inj), C O’Brien for Joyce (41-44, temp), L Meade for O’Flynn (46), J O’Connor for Dalton (49), O’Brien for Joyce (58-f-t, temp), T O’Connell (0-01) for Mullins (61), J Cahalane for Hayes (68).
Kilkenny: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, T Walsh; D Blanchfield, M Carey (0-1), P Deegan (0-1); K Doyle, J Molloy (0-3); M Keoghan, C Kenny (0-3), B Ryan (1-1); S Donnelly (1-0), E Cody (0-7, 0-4f, 0-1 65), H Shine Subs: L Hogan for Shine (8-11, temp), Hogan for Donnelly (h-t), P Moylan for Lawlor (49, inj), F Mackessy for Doyle (54), L Connellan for Shine (55), TJ Reid for Kenny (61, inj).
Ref: J Murphy (Limerick).
Waterford 1-23; Dublin 2-18
Dublin will feel like they should have got at least a point out of this game, if not won it, but in the end, the scoreboard doesn’t lie and the late, late scores from Waterford stars Stephen Bennett and Patrick Curran means they leapfrog the Metropolitans to join Offaly at the top of the table.
The proverbial man from Mars would have thought that Cian O’Sullivan’s superb goal just short of the hour to put the Dubs five points clear would’ve been enough for victory.
Instead, they could only look on as Waterford, under new manager Peter Quelly, came back with Bennett leading the charges at the Dublin citadel.
Dublin were slightly better in the first half after which they went in two points up 1-11 to 0-12. The same Cian O’Sullivan who got the second had already put a pep in his teammates step with an injury-time goal after Ronan Hayes had caused all sorts of trouble.
With the majority of the 5,481-strong gate shouting on the Deise and with the wind in the home side’s backs, it looked like that lead would not be enough.
However, the Dubs defied both to stay in the lead and when O’Sullivan raised a second green flag, there only seemed to be one winner.
The goal scorer, though, blotted his copy book by getting a red card five minutes later for a high challenge and that left his colleagues with an uphill battle facing the last ten or so minutes including injury time.
Gavin Fives with a point and fellow sub Patrick Curran, fed by the excellent Stephen Bennett, opened up the blues’ defense to score a game-changing goal.
David Burke and Jamie Barron exchanged scores as both sides sought victory but it was Bennett’s monster 90m free in the 73rd minute, followed by another from Curran a minute later which proved the margin between the sides in the end.
Waterford: S O’Brien; C Ryan, C Prunty, I Kenny; M Kiely, M Fitzgerald (0-1), P Leavey; C Sheahan, K Bennett (0-2); P Hogan (0-1), J Barron (0-1), S Bennett (0-11, 0-9f); K Mahony, D Hutchinson (0-3), P Fitzgerald (0-1) Subs: G Fives (0-1) for M Kiely (25'), J Prendergast for P Fitzgerald (ht), D Lyons for C Sheahan (52'), P Curran (1-2) for K Mahony (55'),
Dublin: E Gibbons; J Bellew, D Lucey, P Smyth; P Doyle, C Crummey, D Gray; C Donohue (0-3), B Hayes; F Whitely (0-3), DBurke (0-8, 0-7f, 0-1 65), C Ó Riain; B Kenny (0-1), C O’Sullivan (2-2), R Hayes Subs: S Currie for C Ó Riain (42'), C Currie for B Kenny (46'), K Burke for P Doyle (49'), D Ó Dúlaing (0-1) for R Hayes (55').
Ref: S Hynes (Galway).
HURLING RESULTS
HL Division 1A
Cork 1-22 Kilkenny 2-16
Galway 2-19 Wexford 1-20
Clare 1-21 Limerick 0-21
HL Division 1B
Carlow 1-16 Antrim 0-16
Waterford 1-23 Dublin 2-18
Offaly 1-22 Westmeath 0-19
HL Division 2
Kerry 1-20 Meath 0-20
Kildare 3-21 Donegal 1-15
Down 9-26 Tyrone 0-13
HL Division 3
Armagh 3-12 Sligo 0-14
Mayo 3-25 Roscommon 1-12
Cavan 2-20 Wicklow 1-18
HL Division 4
Louth 0-30 Lancashire 2-10
Leitrim 1-18 Monaghan 0-16
Fermanagh 0-18 Warwickshire 1-12
