Ryan denies depleted Cork share of spoils

A POINTED free with the penultimate puck of the game gave Waterford victory over a depleted Cork side in a high scoring and entertaining senior hurling challenge at Ballyduff Upper last evening.

While the home side paraded at least seven of the players expected to be included in their championship starting 15, the Leesiders fielded none of those who started the league decider against Galway 24 hours earlier.

Yet Cork held their own, and more, throughout and were decidedly unlucky not to have come away with at least a share of the spoils. The victory apart, there weren’t too many positives to be taken from the game by Déise manager Davy Fitzgerald other than another stellar performance in defence by Tony Browne.