Fitzgibbon Cup: Halloran the hero for SETU Waterford

NAIL-BITER: James Mulcahy, MTU, Cork looking to tackle the SETU, Waterford keeper Barry Hennessy. Pic: Dan Linehan

Fitzgibbon Cup Group A 

SETU Waterford 1-19 MTU Cork 0-20 

Eleven frees from Déise hurler Reuben Halloran sent SETU Waterford through to the Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-finals after a nail-biting finish at a chilly Carriganore.

MTU Cork needed a draw to progress and only trailed by a point three minutes into injury time after rallying from seven down earlier in the half. Liam O'Shea struck ten points while Cork senior Ciaran Joyce converted four placed balls. 

With the game in the balance, Shane Bennett won a late, late free for SETU in front of the stand. Halloran hit it between the posts despite the best efforts of Evan Murphy to put him off by breaking his hurley. 

All Ireland minor and under 21 winner Bennett will leave for Australia next week.

Fintan O'Connor's side never fell behind. From the throw-in, Gavin Fives (SETU) and Ciaran Joyce (MTU) acted as spare defenders at either end of the field.

Reuben Halloran converted the first of his five first half frees in the fourth minute. Mark O'Brien then landed a point from his own 65. MTU levelled through Cormac Beausang and Liam O'Shea. Sean Walsh and Halloran made it 4-2.

On thirteen minutes, Waterford panellist Padraig Fitzgerald finished a flowing move to the back of the net after good work by Jack Prendergast and Paul Cody (1-4 to 0-2). 

The visitors cancelled that out with two O'Shea frees and a Brian Roche effort from play. Déise midfielder Jack Prendergast hit SETU's first score in ten minutes.

Points from Shane Bennett, Halloran and Prendergast fired the hosts five up again. Sean Walsh and Sam Quirke raised white flags in injury time but Halloran replied with a massive free before O'Brien struck his second of the half. 1-11 to 0-9 at the break.

MTU narrowed the gap to a goal eight minutes into the second period. Bennett escaped with a yellow card for a pull across Ciaran Joyce. 

O'Shea and Halloran missed frees before the home side shot four without reply. Halloran nailed two frees while Bennett and Sean Walsh obliged from play to leave them seven up (1-16 to 0-12). 

All Ireland-winning Limerick goalkeeper Barry Hennessy saved twice from MTU midfielder Sam Quirke with seventeen minutes left.

Three Joyce dead balls (two 65s and a free) brought it back to three with nine minutes to go (1-16 to 0-16). 

A Halloran free gave the home team the comfort of a two-score lead. Not for long however as Sean Walsh plucked a ball out of the sky and pointed. Three late Liam O'Shea singles made it a nervy finish for the locals but Bennett and Halloran dragged SETU over the line.

Scorers for SETU Waterford: R Halloran 0-11 (11fs), P Fitzgerald 1-0, S Bennett, M O'Brien, J Prendergast, S Walsh 0-2 each.

MTU Cork: L O'Shea 0-10 (8fs), C Joyce 0-4 (2fs, 2 65s), B Roche, S Walsh 0-2 each, C Beausang, S Quirke 0-1 each.

SETU Waterford (Waterford unless stated): B Hennessy (Limerick); C Ryan, S Purcell (Kilkenny), J Fitzgerald; M O'Brien, G Fives, P Cody (Kilkenny); J Prendergast, J Harkin (Kilkenny); A Kirwan, S Fitzgerald, S Walsh (Cork); P Fitzgerald, S Bennett, R Halloran.

Sub: S Lawlor (Wexford) for Cody (58).

MTU Cork (Cork unless stated): C Wilson; C Roche, B Kehoe (Tipperary), L Ryan; E Murphy (Kerry), C Joyce, E Collins; S Quirke, K Murphy; B Roche, L O’Shea, C Beausang; J Mulcahy, S Keoghan (Kilkenny), S Walsh (Waterford).

Subs: P Creedon (Tipperary) for Kehoe (HT), J Cahalane (Cork) for Mulcahy (46), A Walsh (Cork) for Murphy (51).

Referee: P Murphy (Carlow)