The Pat Ryan era is well and truly up and running after Cork cantered to a facile nine-point victory over Waterford in the Munster SHC at at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The Rebels go straight in at the top of the povincial round-robin, their scoring difference placing them at the head of a four-way tie on two points. The Déise are the only side yet to win.
This was a true team performance, with all of the front eight registering from play, while Patrick Collins and Damien Cahalane denied Waterford any goals.
The official man of the match went to full debutant Brian Roche while his midfield partner Darragh Fitzgibbon, in his first game of 2023, ran his markers ragged in front of 29,104 fans at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Cahalane, Séamus Harnedy, Conor Lehane, and Patrick Horgan showed there's plenty of life after 30, with the latter three contributing 0-13.
If it wasn't clear what Cork would show up for Championship, it became evident within minutes.
Waterford had the first point, a Stephen Bennett free, but it was their only score inside 21 minutes and even that came from Cork overcarrying rather than any attacking endeavour.
Fitzgibbon got off five shots in the opening eight minutes, converting three. But for those and other misses, Cork’s lead could have been double their 0-04 to 0-01 advantage.
Their radar was just debugging and they stretched their run of points to eight, with Lehane finding wide-open spaces for two more.
Cork were swallowing up the Waterford puck-out and they used that platform to create the only shot at goal in the first half. Tommy O’Connell won possession, Luke Meade sent Horgan into space, and he popped a pass to Roche.
Billy Nolan saved his effort but Roche recovered possession to push the lead into double-figures, 0-12 to 0-02 after 26 minutes.
Jack Prendergast was a rare outlet for Nolan’s puck-outs and he created a point for Dessie Hutchinson. It would be Waterford’s only score from play onto five Bennett frees all half.
Rob Downey switched across to deal with that threat and having never before scored in Championship hurling, he ended the first period with 0-02.
Waterford were trying anything they could. Going man-to-man, then dropping Jack Fagan back for extra cover. Clogging the Cork goalmouth, then spreading wide to either sideline. Regardless, all the space found was by Cork and Harnedy made it 0-15 to 0-06 at half-time.
Davy Fitzgerald had seen enough. On came Austin Gleeson, Patrick Fitzgerald, and Peter Hogan. Off went Michael Kiely, who had picked up a knock, Tom Barron, and Colin Dunford. Conor Ryan came on for Conor Gleeson shortly after.
They had three quickfire points to slash the deficit to six, from Bennett (0-2) and Jamie Barron. Another Bennett point attempt almost ended with a green flag but Collins, having miscontrolled the sliotar, dived back to collar it before it crossed the line.
Cork calmly killed off that comeback. Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett, and Harnedy added to two Horgan frees to complete a five-point streak.
The Déise forged a couple more chances to pull themselves back into it but Collins saved a Peter Horgan bouncer and Cahalane blocked a Patrick Fitzgerald piledriver after a quickly taken 21m free.
That same duo came to the rescue again in the 64th minute. Collins stood tall to save Hutchinson’s shot and Bennett’s follow-up flashed wide via the helmet of Cahalane.
Even playing into the wind, Cork kept the scoreboard moving. The second-half highlight was Robbie O’Flynn returning from injury to nail points from either sideline.
Cork: P Collins; N O’Leary, R Downey (0-02), D Cahalane; T O’Connell, C Joyce, G Mellerick; B Roche (0-01), D Fitzgibbon (0-04); D Dalton (0-03, 2f), C Lehane (0-02), S Barrett (0-01); L Meade (0-01), P Horgan (0-08, 6f), S Harnedy (0-03).
Subs: R O’Flynn (0-02) for Dalton (50), P Power for Harnedy (56), S Kingston for Lehane (59), C Cahalane for Meade (64), C O’Brien for Mellerick (70).
Waterford: B Nolan; M Fitzgerald, C Prunty, C Gleeson; T Barron, C Lyons (0-02), J Fagan; D Lyons, J Barron (0-01); N Montgomery (0-01), C Dunford, J Prendergast; M Kiely, S Bennett (0-09, 7f, 1 65), D Hutchinson (0-01).
Subs: A Gleeson (0-01) for Kiely (h-t), Patrick Fitzgerald (0-01) for T Barron (h-t), P Hogan for Dunford (h-t), C Ryan for C Gleeson (43), Pádraig Fitzgerald (0-02) for Montgomery (65).
Referee: James Owens (Wexford).
