Decies destroy Rebels' NHL dreams

Cork 0-13 Waterford 0-14

Waterford moved to the top of the Allianz NHL Division One Group 1 standings as they ran out 0-14 to 0-13 winners over Munster rivals Cork thanks to a late brace of points from John Mullane and substitute Paul O’Brien.

In front of 10,103 spectators, who reserved the biggest cheer of the afternoon for the returning former All-star Brian Corcoran who came on as a second-half substitute at full-forward, Cork’s league dreams were left in tatters after their second loss of the second phase, whilst consistent scoring sees Waterford top of the pile on four points.

Four unanswered points from the visitors’ most impressive forward Paul Flynn (0-2), John Mullane and Dan Shanahan saw Waterford into a 0-8 to 0-7 lead by the first half’s 20th minute.

Wing forward Dave Bennett and Shanahan had swung over two early scores each but points from midfielder John Gardiner (0-2), Timmy and Niall McCarthy and four off the hurl of the Rebels’ league top scorer Jonathan O’Callaghan (0-40 in previous games) had pushed the home side into an early three-point advantage.

With a slight wind against them, Waterford soon rallied into a 0-10 to 0-8 half-time lead, through a blazing four points for Flynn in the final 10 minutes, and Bennett, who completed his opening tally of 0-3 with his second free from halfway on 32 minutes.

Flynn continued the form that had seen him to 4-37 in the league campaign, with his fifth point on 37 minutes.

Waterford half forward Eoin Kelly got his first of the afternoon shortly after, but two Gardiner efforts brought Cork back to within a point at 0-12 to 0-11 down.

Corcoran came on for an ineffective Brendan Lombard, but with time against him, managed little but to win a free, pointed by O’Callaghan.

Castletownroche forward O’Callaghan pointed two more times from placed balls, but sandwiched in between his 67th and 71st minute efforts were the crucial points from Mullane and O’Callaghan as Waterford just held out.