Cork have the greater scope for improvement

Munster Final Replay CORK v WATERFORD:MUCH CAN happen in the grey zone between a drawn match and the replay. Both teams convince themselves they are happy to be going back up the road to play, although the Waterford players would pass a polygraph on this one. This is their second chance, not to be shirked.

Seán Óg Ó hAilpín’s brow-raising recovery from a hamstring injury can only be verified after the Na Piarsaigh man takes his first ball tonight. Cork will want to start anew and forget about last week. It was a strange Munster final for the Rebels. They were contained, then cut loose, were almost home and dry and must have left the field with the queasy feeling they had blown it.

Waterford refused to quit when defeat loomed. That mindset could push them to new heights, although concerns from last week must linger in their minds too.

In the drawn match, Waterford suffered after full back Liam Lawlor was substituted. All of a sudden, Cork had two goals. Like most defenders, Lawlor concedes to the younger Ó hAilpín in both size and weight and although he coped admirably, he rode the line on several occasions and eventually picked up the yellow card and warning that prompted Davy Fitzgerald to replace him.

In addition to scoring the goal that awakened Cork, Ó hAilpín won two close range frees in the second half. His potential to damage the Waterford full-back line is obvious and even with the excellent cover that Eoin Murphy and Noel Connors provide, Lawlor faces a busy evening.

Cork’s sudden goal burst means we have yet to learn how and when Fitzgerald intends playing his reserve cards. Trailing by 2-12 to 0-13 with 15 minutes left, Waterford hurriedly warmed up Dan Shanahan and Ken McGrath, who were on the sideline and poised to come in when Eoin Kelly fired home a brilliant individual goal. As it turned out, it was the starting veteran Tony Browne who made the decisive intervention on the match. But how and when Fitzgerald introduces Waterford’s great servants could have a major bearing on this game.

The injury to Gerry O’Connor means Michael Cussen is elevated to a starting role. This could be bad news for Waterford. The height and athleticism of the Sarsfields man troubled the Waterford defence and diminished the ease with which Michael Walsh was controlling his sector of the pitch.

Niall McCarthy has been named at centre forward but it is likely Cussen will operate from that position as the game heats up, giving them a big advantage in the air.

Cork will need a bigger return from their forwards tonight. The midfield (0-3) and the half-back line (0-2) pitched in with a bigger return from play last week. Speculation suggested that Paudie O’Sullivan, who looked sharp and controlled upon his introduction, might get a shout for the replay. The Cloyne man is likely to see some action.

However, Waterford will also hope to conjure up more scoring power. Three starters – Stephen Molumphy, Eoin McGrath and Shane Walsh – failed to score from play; McGrath has now lost out to Séamus Prendergast. John Mullane simmered, striking four good points and three wides.

Waterford did so much right in the drawn match and yet required a comic-book turn from Browne just to get a second chance. The big question is whether they can impose that intense, defensive game on Cork without the cave-in minutes. Even if they achieve that, they will do well to curtail Cork’s attack.

This match is fascinatingly poised but Cork appear to have the greater scope for improvement and could well edge it.

CORK:D Óg Cusack; S O'Neill, E Cadogan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAlipín; T Kenny, C Naughton; B O'Connor, N McCarthy, M Cussen; K Murphy, A Ó hAilpín, P Horgan.

WATERFORD:Possible): C Hennessy; E Murphy, L Lawlor, N Connors; T Browne, M Walsh, D Prendergast; S O'Sullivan, R Foley; S Walsh, K Moran, E Kelly; S Molumphy, J Mullane, S Prendergast.