Cork earned a welcome win over old foes Kilkenny to end the weekend as the only team with a one hundred per cent record in Division 1 of the National Hurling League, while Tipperary, Waterford and Offaly also bagged Sunday victories.
The Rebels emerged 0-18 to 1-13 victors over the NHL and All-Ireland champions at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, with wing back John Gardiner accounting for 0-7 of their haul, a couple of which were from long-ranged placed balls.
After Donal Og Cusack had turned an early Richie Power penalty behind, Cork flew into an early 0-4 to 0-1 lead with Gardiner, Tom Kenny and Pat Horgan all raising the white flags before a couple of Power scores had the Cats purring.
It was tit-for-tat for most of the half as the Cats drew level several times before losing Michael Grace to a straight red card after he aimed a punch amid an ugly fracas between the sides.
Niall McCarthy got Cork’s last point of the first half as the sides went in at 0-8 apiece but a goal early in the second half, slotted away by impressive Kilkenny forward John Mulhall, saw Brian Cody’s side go 1-10 to 0-12 in front.
Cork retook the lead though as Cathal Naughton, Gardiner and McCarthy all bagged further scores and two brilliant late efforts from Paudie O’Sullivan ensured that the points would be staying on Leeside a year on from when Kilkenny ripped an ill-prepared Rebels side to shreds in Nowlan Park.
=
Tipperary produced a second-half comeback to beat Galway 2-17 to 0-14 at Semple Stadium.
Perhaps the Tipp players’ minds were still on their football’s side surprise win over Meath earlier in the day but they started slowly as Ger Farragher rattled off a raft of points and Cyril Donnellan and Iarla Tannion also weighing in with scores.
Eoin Kelly had bagged an early goal for the Premier as a ’65 went all the way in and, though he and Lar Corbett were putting over points, they were 1-6 to 0-13 down at half-time.
But they came out flying after the break. Last year’s Young Hurler of the Year Noel McGrath played a key part in the comeback, knocking over points along with Kelly and Seamus Callanan and also rifling home the home team’s second goal.
Aonghus Callanan’s point for the Tribesmen was, believe it or not, their only score of the second half as Tipp eventually eased to a success to follow up on last week’s win over Kilkenny.
=
Waterford made a poor start against Limerick in Dungarvan but Davy Fitzgerald’s troops eventually won on a score of 2-20 to 2-10.
Forward Pauide McNamara took just 15 seconds to rifle the ball to the back of Clinton Hennessey’s net for Limerick and - after the Deise hit a host of misses - the same player was again on target to put his side 2-0 to 0-1 clear.
However, the bottom side soon reverted to type as their inexperienced team found themselves overran by the Deise, for whom Eoin Kelly and Richie Foley began to knock over scores.
The game was then held up for a quarter of an hour when Treaty County goalkeeper Tadhg Flynn sustained what looked a nasty head injury.
Waterford hit back to go in at half-time on level terms (1-7 to 2-4) and they then outscored Limerick – whose manager Justin McCarthy is surely now on borrowed time in his job – by 1-13 to 0-5 in the second half, Kevin Moran adding to Kelly’s earlier goal.
=
Finally, Offaly bagged their first win of the campaign as Shane Dooley starred in a 3-19 to 1-18 win over Dublin in a very good game in Tullamore.
Dooley scored 2-10 in all after Joe Bergin and Liam Rushe traded early goals. Shane Molloy, Brian Carroll and Daniel Currams all added scores as Offaly began to run clear and Dooley’s second goal – a vicious accurate finish - had them on the ropes.
However, they regrouped and, aided by the ability of the likes of Rush, John McCaffrey and Alan McCrabbe, were back level at the half with the game tied at 2-9 to 1-12.
The Dubs then started the second half with a strong run of scoring, but Dooley – personally excellent but also part of a superb Faithful team performance - was matching them and his second goal put Offaly back in front at 3-12 to 1-17.
Offaly went clear thereafter and Dooley even had time to miss a penalty as the Dubs only scored once more and had Maurice O’Brien sent off.