Cork stamped their semi-final visas when roaring to an emphatic 1-24 to 0-8 victory over Waterford in this play-off at Pairc Ui Rinn tonight.
Lethal corner forward Brian Turnbull was the star turn for the winners, contributing ten points (seven of those from play) as they booked a date with Tipperary, while the disappointing visitors mustered just a solitary score from play over the hour (scored by Tom Looby).
Soundly thrashed by Clare in their initial quarter-final proper at Ennis on April 5th, Na Deise were given a second chance to seal a semi-final berth but ran into a strong, purposeful Rebels under 18 combination whose performance belied the fact that they were making their first appearance of the year.
Waterford - who have still won just once on Cork soil at minor level - were on the road again and manager James Lacey made six changes to his starting XV, but Cork counterpart Denis Ring was able to call upon five of last year's minor team as well as a few players who collected provincial U17 medals with the Rebel County as recently as last week.
Incredibly, despite losing their two outings to date by an aggregate of 37 points, the Suirsiders' season is still not over: they now go into yet another quarter-final play-off - against Limerick next Thursday (where they'll be away from home again).
Meanwhile, the impressive winners join the Banner County and Tipperary in the semi-finals, due to be staged in late June. Edged out by Cork's next opponents, Tipp, in a thriller four weeks ago, the Treaty County will fancy their chances of completing the last-four line-up.
Visiting full forward Thomas Douglas (free) registered the first point of the second half tonight to reduce Waterford's arrears to six but the dominant Cork lads then bagged 1-12 without reply to lead by 21 as a 25-minute spell separated Waterford's first two second-half scores.
Cork led from start to finish, clipping over two points inside the opening minute and surging 0-8 to 0-2 clear by the end of the opening quarter, with visiting goalkeeper Eoghan Browne twice having to be alert to keep his goal intact - denying Robert Downey in the first minute and Evan Sheehan in the seventh - as the rampant Rebels attacked in waves.
Despite playing into the breeze, the home team kicked on to lead by seven points at the interval, 0-11 to 0-4.
Douglas clubman Turnbull clipped over five first-half points and Daire Connery, Craig Hanifin and Liam O'Shea each grabbed a brace, while all but one of Waterford's paltry opening-period return accrued from Billy Power frees.
The losers made a triple change at half time with Ian Beecher, Ciaran Power and Kyle Bennett all introduced but it was all to no avail as the issue was settled beyond any reasonable doubt in the 36th minute when, following an exchange of points, wing forward Brian Roche from Bride Rovers found the roof of the net to put ten between the sides, 1-12 to 0-5.
The Rebels reeled off five more unanswered points to lead by 15 at the three-quarters stage and the gap was 20 with five minutes remaining. They didn't register a wide until the 47th minute! Turnball, Connery, Hanifin, O'Shea, Sheehan, corner back Conor O'Callaghan and substitutes Barry Murphy and John Geary all plundered second-half points for the winners.
Waterford notched a few late points but won't have any fond memories of this game, while Cork have a run-out under their belts now and will be all the stronger for it. Cork meet Tipperary next in a repeat of last year's provincial semi-final, while the winners of the second play-off between Waterford and Limerick will take on Clare for the other place in the decider.
Cork - G Collins; C O'Callaghan (0-1), S O'Leary Hayes, E Roche; R Howell, J Keating, G Millerick; D Connery (0-3f), D Lenihan; C Hanifin (0-3), L O'Shea (0-3), B Roche (1-0); E Sheehan (0-2), R Downey, B Turnbull (0-10, 3f). Subs: B Murphy (0-1) for D Lenihan, J Geary (0-1) for L O'Shea, B Buckley for B Roche, A Walsh Barry for R Howell, J O'Callaghan for E Roche.
Waterford - E Browne; C Giles Doran, J Flavin, M Noonan; M Power, L O'Brien, D Booth; I Daly (0-1f), S Whelan Barrett; C Whelan, B Power (0-5f), H Ruddle; G Dalton, T Douglas (0-1f), T Looby (0-1). Subs: I Beecher for D Booth, C Power for G Dalton, K Bennett for H Ruddle, E Cullen for S Whelan Barrett, R Dunphy for T Douglas.
Referee - P Kelly.
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