Éire Óg (Cork) 0-20 Rathgormack (Waterford) 1-13
Clare senior dual champions Éire Óg maintained their remarkable run after securing an eighth consecutive victory at Zimmer Biomet Páirc Chiosóg in just twelve weeks.
Their footballing fraternity led the way in Munster, with inter-county senior Mark McInerney in unstoppable form, with all but four of their impressive 20-point tally to finally see off three-in-a-row Waterford champions, Rathgormack.
That 16-point haul was needed, as the West Waterford side weren't about to sit back and admire his scoring prowess.
Eleven first-half points, including a hat-trick of two-pointers, cancelled out Stephen Curry's 15th-minute goal for the visitors who would trail Éire Óg by 0-12 to 1-05 by the break.
Rathgormack regrouped better, as Jason Curry led a six-point third-quarter turnaround that edged his side in front for the first time in 30 minutes, turning into the final quarter at 1-11 to 0-13.
Having only scored a solitary Darren O’Brien point in the third quarter, Éire Óg had to dig deep to wrestle back control, with Luke Pyne’s equaliser proving the catalyst for another McInerney surge as he kicked five of his side’s last six points to run out merited victors.
A brace of two-pointers in the first seven minutes set the tone but while Rathgormack eventually used three different markers on him, they were unable to curb McInerney to any great degree as he was Éire Óg’s only scorer until the 29th minute, by which time he had amassed eleven points.
The damage could have been greater only for goalkeeper Paudie Hunt to deny him a goal but McInerney redressed the balance when being in the perfect position to catch a Peter Walsh goal bound flick off his own goal-line in injury-time.
Rathgormack would be equally frustrated in front of goal when on top in the new half as Francis Roche’s teasing effort came back off the far left post while Billy Power was denied by home goalkeeper Cian Howard.
However, Éire Óg weathered the storm to preserve their perfect record in Cusack Park which will be tested again next Sunday when their hurlers host Tipperary champions Loughmore-Castleiney at the last four stage.
Éire Óg: Cian Howard; Gavin D’Auria, Aaron Fitzgerald, Dean Ryan (0-01); Ciaran Russell, Manus Doherty, Ronan Lanigan; David McNamara, Darren O’Brien (0-01); Gavin Murray, Ikem Ugwueru (0-01), Oran Cahill; Mark McInerney (0-16, 1tp, 3tpf, 4f); Luke Pyne (0-01), Darren Moroney
Subs: Jarlath Collins for Cahill (44'), Aidan McGrath for Murray (53'), Jack Joyce for Moroney (56'), Nially McMahon for O’Brien (60')
Rathgormack: Paudie Hunt; Liam Mulligan, Mairtin Power, Willie Hahessy; Glen Power, Tom Walsh, James Power (0-02, 1tp); Cathal Crowch, Michael Curry; Peter Walsh, Conor Murray (0-02), Jason Curry (0-06, 1tp, 2f); Billy Power (0-01), Stephen Curry (1-01), Francis Roche
Subs: Sean Hahessy (0-01) for Crowch (HT), Reece O'Mahony for Roche (42'), Ger Hahessy for G. Power (46', inj)
Referee: David Murnane (Cork)
