Distant losers reap unlikely return

Cork 3-16 - F Murray 2-2, A Dorgan 1-2, B G O'Sullivan 0-2, G Canty 0-2, M O'Sullivan 0-2, M Cronin 0-2, E Sexton 0-1, A Lynch 0-1, J Kavanagh 0-1, J Miskella 0-1.

Waterford 1-7 - J Hennessy 1-0, C Power 0-3, frees, G Hurney 0-2, B Wall 0-1, free, G Walsh 0-1.

Referee: E Whelan (Laois).

Attendance: 2,000

Waterford's game battlers at least salvaged a night out on the strength of their manager's winnings after been subjected to their latest drubbing in the championship.

Waterford boss Greg Fives made a killing with the bookies who had laid him odds against his team scoring a goal and losing by 18 points. "I had £500 on the goal bet and another wager on the 18 points handicap," he told the amused Cork players. "Ye won as was only to be expected, but I will be giving my fellas a hell of a night out on the winnings."

Waterford knew their fate within a 30second two-goal Cork blitz just before half-time. Although Larry Tompkins' side were oozing with confidence and repeatedly showing a willingness to try inventive moves with even their defenders trying for scores, they held only a five-point advantage after 30 minutes play, 0-8 to 0-3.

Then the roof caved in on the Waterford defence. First Fionan Murray - who was later to score a goal that would make Figo proud - and then Aidan Dorgan increased Cork's lead with two rapid goals all within 30 seconds.

Cork's dominance and control immediately attained new heights, so much so that the enthusiastic local following in the poor 2,000 crowd could relish the sight of their full back Ronan McCarthy moving up to take a pass on the burst at half way.

To the crowd's further delight, McCarthy continued onwards only to see his attempt at a point from 30 yards curl to the left and wide. Michael O'Sullivan, with one of those Cork points taken with ease, helped to give the home side a 2-9 to 0-3 interval lead.

Cork's two newcomers to senior championship football, goalkeeper Alan Quirke and centre back Graham Canty, had impressed Tompkins in that first half, as did Sean O hAilpin, in a generally smart Cork defence. Canty was flanked by two highly adventurous wing backs in Owen Sexton and Martin Cronin.

True, manager Fives had to wait until the 20th minute of the second half to clinch his big wager, thanks to a brilliantly fisted goal by full forward John Hennessy, but, a lot earlier, Quirke had to produce a miracle save to deny the Waterford full forward at the expense of a 45.

"I am very pleased with my team's performance of passion and spirit," said manager Fives. "They never threw in the towel." But if that two-goal Cork flurry before half-time was not enough to dampen Waterford spirits, they were still to endure a big morale crusher in the form of a spectacular goal by Fionan Murray.

The second half was 15 minutes old and Waterford were trailing hopelessly by 2-11 to 0-4 when Murray struck for what may well prove to be the goal of the entire championship. When his initial shot was somehow parried by Paul Houlihan, Murray found himself with his back to the goal and sent a bicycle-kick into the far corner of the net.

Murray insisted that he was not impersonating anything he had seen on TV. "It was simply the way I reacted to the parry," he said.

Yet, the Waterford spirit never flagged. Indeed, before the finish we had the bizarre spectacle of their midfielder Karl O'Keeffe, while being treated for injury on the ground, grabbing the ball and starting a Waterford attack that finished up with a pointed free by Brian Wall.

Cork fans were delighted to see Joe Kavanagh enter the fray just after half-time for his first match since the All-Ireland club final, but Tompkins' urge to experiment came unstuck when Kavanagh's brother Derek hobbled off inside the last 10 minutes with the full quota of Cork's substitutions used up, leaving the winners with only 14 players for the closing stages.