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Deise dazzle in a corking goalfest
 There’s
something different about Waterford in 2007 and though Cork were missing
three key players through suspension this was still a crucial win for
the Deise as they go in search of their first All-Ireland Senior title
in 48 years.
There were goals galore at Semple Stadium on Sunday as the men in white
raised the green flag on five occasions to dethrone Cork of their Munster
champions tag.
Focused and motivated Waterford hit only four wides in the entire game
and spreading their scoring caused consternation in the Rebels defence
as they progressed to a Munster final meeting with either Limerick or
Tipperary next month.
However it was Cork who found the back of the net first when Kieran Murphy
fired home in the 11th minute to make it 1-2 to 0-3 in Cork’s favour.
In an all-action first-half it wasn’t long until the umpires were
looking for the green flags again though and in the 19th minute Waterford’s
Mr. Reliable Dan Shanahan broke through the Reds’ defence to rifle
the ball past Anthony Nash in the Rebels’ goal.
In the 25th minute Waterford were at it again when John Mullane cleverly
benefited from a flick by Eoin Kelly to find the back of the net to make
it 2-4 to 1-5 in the Deise’s favour.
You couldn’t take your eyes off this ding-dong battle for a second
and true to form Cork were back on level terms when Neil Ronan goaled
on the half-hour mark.
However Waterford now had the scent of goal in their nostrils and two
goals in the space of two minutes saw them enter the break with a five-point
advantage.
First the Ballygunner veteran Paul Flynn saw his 21-metre free somehow
make it all the way over the Cork line before Dan Shanahan pounced on
a breaking ball to hit his second goal of the afternoon. A first-half
as good as any seen in the history of the Championship ended 4-8 to 2-9
in Waterford’s favour but if they were going to win this clash then
there was a lot of work to do after the interval.
The National League champions’ lead was cut to two points 11 minutes
in the second-half when Cork’s Pat Cronin pounced on a loose ball
to goal and make it 4-10 to 3-11.
Amazingly Cork had found a way back and in the 54th minute the Rebels
were dancing in the aisles when a Joe Deane point gave them the lead for
the first time since the 25th minute of the first-half.
It would take something of brilliance to win this game and Eoin Kelly
delivered a stunning goal with 10 minutes remaining to put the Deise back
in front.
In a tense finale Cork’s Joe Deane hit the crossbar and Ben O’Connor’s
penalty was blocked. Fittingly veteran Tony Browne secured the win for
Justin McCarthy’s men with a superb late point. Now dreams of lifting
the Liam McCarthy Cup for the first time since 1959 look like a real possibility.
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