As we wave goodbye to the inaugural Munster senior hurling championship round robin this weekend, John Fogarty makes some observations on the old and the new in Sunday’s final round.

UCC staged a late recovery to beat Midleton 1-22 to 1-20 at  Páirc Uí Rinn tonight in a Cork SHC Round 4 tie.

A goal three minutes into injury-time by Glen Rovers’ David Cunningham saved the Cork SHC champions in an epic Saturday night tussle with old rivals St Finbarr’s at Páirc Uí Rinn.

They were sitting in silence on a winter’s night in the Carrigtwohill club rooms, with the only sound that of a hurler belting a sliotar in the adjacent ball alley.

Cathal Barrett has been dropped from the Tipperary panel. The All-Star defender, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, is believed to have been omitted for a disciplinary breach.

There was a positive end to a forgettable weekend for the Tipperary hurlers last night with confirmation All-Star corner-back Cathal Barrett has avoided cruciate knee ligament damage.

Allianz HL Division 1A

Cork senior hurling selector Pat Hartnett says league champions Clare, who roll into Páirc Uí Rinn tonight for the NHL Division 1A opener against the home side, represent “a tall order” for a youthful Rebel team.

Kieran Kingston has appealed for patience from Cork fans as his developing side prepares for tomorrow evening’s Allianz NHL Division 1A opener at home to Clare.

Cork 1-26 Dublin 1-23: Firstly, the positives for Cork. Heaven knows there’s been enough of the other stuff this last while.

Midleton 2-16 Bishopstown 0-12: There was only going to be one winner from this first-round Cork SHC clash in Páirc Uí Rinn yesterday and yet it wasn’t so much a case of 2013 champions Midleton being comfortably in control all through, more an issue of how closer Bishopstown might have been had they not accumulated 17 wides.

Bill Cooper’s involvement with Cork came to a sudden halt a few years ago. The Youghal hurler was gathering momentum as a hard-working half-forward when his body betrayed him.

As debuts go, Patrick Collins’ was impressive.

Tipperary 2-27 Cork 2-15: Seamus Callanan’s arrival at half-time briefly threatened to ignite this lacklustre collision of the old rivals. In case there was any danger his first appearance of the campaign went unnoticed by the 7,251-strong crowd, a welcome-back shemozzle immediately broke out in the Cork goalmouth, and Semple lungs opened in unison for the first time in the afternoon.

Cork 2-22 Kilkenny 2-23: An enthralling game on Saturday night came to a fitting end deep in injury time at Páirc Uí Rinn — Kilkenny sub John Power intercepted a clearance by Cork ‘keeper Patrick Collins to loft over a long-distance winner and condemn the home side to a fourth NHL 1A loss.

This was a superb contest last Saturday night. Cork were six points up and it looked as if they were going to hold out for a much needed win with five minutes remaining in normal time.

I was looking forward to this encounter all the week, given what happened when the sides last met.

Recalls are the story of Kieran Kingston’s first Cork League panel which sees Cian McCarthy, Conor O’Sullivan and William Egan returning to the group.

Cork hurling manager Kieran Kingston has continued his policy of rotation for tomorrow night’s Munster SHL clash with Waterford in Mallow (7.30pm).

Glen Rovers 0-18 Midleton 1-12: The last time Glen Rovers reached consecutive Cork SHC finals was at the end of the 1980s, when a loss in ’88 to St Finbarr’s was followed in ’89 with victory over Sarsfields.

Midleton 1-17, Douglas 0-11

Midleton 1-15 St. Finbarr’s 1-13: The story of this Cork SHC round four clash on Saturday centred around Midleton’s staggering total of 20 wides, but 1-15 was enough for the Magpies to make it into the quarter-finals to face the winners of next weekend’s Duhallow-Douglas clash.

Cork’s inability to break down the Waterford ‘system’ once again proved their downfall in Thurles.

This ride on the white and blue merry-go-round. Where is it going to end? When are Waterford actually going to lose a match?

Cork 1-21 Waterford 3-19: An afternoon of affirmations played itself out in Thurles yesterday as Cork were once more found wanting when confronted by the energy and wit of Waterford, who delivered the better championship performance.