Round-up: oneills.com Munster U20 Championship action:
oneills.com Munster U20 Hurling Championship Round 5
Cork 3-21 Waterford 0-18
Clare 0-27 Limerick 1-20
By Stephen Barry
Barry Walsh notched 2-4 and created the other goal as Cork secured their oneills.com Munster U20 Hurling semi-final berth and home advantage by beating Waterford with 12 points to spare.
The improving Rebels completed back-to-back wins to leapfrog from fourth to second in the round-robin table, pipping their next opponents, Clare, on score difference (+8 against +2).
The Banner overcame Limerick by four points to seal third in the table. They will travel to Supervalu Páirc Uí Chaoimh next Wednesday with a final against Tipperary at stake.
Waterford would come to regret three missed goal chances in the opening quarter and 13 wides on Leeside.
Jack Twomey had the first of those blocked by Eoin Guinane and Cork countered for Finn O’Brien’s opener followed by a Ben Walsh sideline cut.
Pat Walsh robbed Rebel keeper Daniel O’Connell, but lost his hurley in the process and O’Connell spoiled his kicked attempt.
By contrast, Cork took their first chance in the 15th minute. With Waterford down to 14 due to an injury, the alert Barry Walsh pinched a sideline and found his path clear all the way for a batted finish.
O’Connell made a fine save from the pacy Ben O’Sullivan to preserve that 1-3 to 0-2 lead. Led by Twomey and the free-taking of Tom Carey, who would finish with 0-9, Waterford cut the gap to the minimum three times before break, but never levelled.
John Murphy, Barry O’Flynn, and Ross O’Sullivan picked off the final three points of the half for a 1-10 to 0-9 interval lead.
An O’Brien brace protected that advantage until Johnnie Murphy’s 39th-minute clinching goal, created by a Barry Walsh intercept and finished by the substitute despite an exceptional Alex Reade save.
They added a third seven minutes later after O’Flynn had his hurley held by Seán Mackey. Barry Walsh stepped up to rifle home the penalty as Cork made it a 2-3 streak.
They ended with 12 different scorers, including four subs, as Adam O’Sullivan arrowed over three points.
In the battle for the other semi-final berth, Clare ran out 0-27 to 1-20 winners at TUS Gaelic Grounds. Their accuracy contrasted with Limerick’s 15 wides.
The Banner got off to a fast start with James Organ and Jack O’Neill points plus a Fred Hegarty free.
At the other end, Dara Ferland and Robert O’Farrell fired goal openings over the bar. Clare stretched eight ahead with O’Neill, who finished with 0-6 from play, Organ, Diarmuid Stritch, and Hegarty leading the scoring.
They opened up a 0-17 to 0-8 cushion but Limerick reeled off the final five points of the half via three Mark O’Brien placed balls, Hugh Flanagan, and Matthew Fitzgerald to trim the gap to four.
They edged closer again on 43 minutes when Fintan Fitzgerald’s clever sideline was seized upon by O’Farrell to whip to the net for 0-21 against 1-16.
O’Brien, who tallied 0-10, and substitute Ruairí O’Connor cut the gap to the minimum but Clare sprinted for the line with five of the next six points from Seán Boyce (2), Michael Collins, and two James Hegarty placed balls.