Cork jumped out to a 0-5 to 0-0 lead against the visitors, driven by the impressive Bill Cooper and Darragh Fitzgibbon at midfield. It took Waterford 20 minutes to score - a penalty goal from Patrick Curran.

The home side still controlled the game, adding points from Fitzgibbon, Cooper and Dean Brosnan, but Waterford rallied through Paraic Mahony frees, Jamie Barron and a late Mikey Kearney effort, trailing 0-10 to 1-4 at the break.

Cork did well on the resumption with a Conor Lehane point but Tom Devine almost played Shane Bennett in for a goal, only to overcook the pass. Fitzgibbon and Patrick Horgan (two) pushed Cork five ahead by the 55th minute, when sub Maurice Shanahan, just on the field, got a straight red.

The sending-off galvanised Waterford, with Stephen Bennett (two) and Jake Dillon cutting Cork’s lead to two with six minutes left, but the home side then took over with sub Daniel Kearney (two) and Colm Spillane hitting the points that made the game safe for Cork.

Scorers for Cork: P. Horgan 0-5 (3 frees); B. Cooper (0-4); D. Fitzgibbon, D. Brosnan (0-3 each); D. Kearney (0-2); C. Lehane, M. Cahalane, C. Spillane, A. Cadogan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Waterford: P. Mahony 0-4 (2 frees); S. Bennett (0-3), P. Curran (1-0 penalty); T. Ryan (0-2); T. de Búrca, J. Barron, J. Dillon, M. Kearney (0-1 each).

CORK: A. Nash, S. O’Donoghue, E. Cadogan, C. Spillane, C. Joyce, T. O’Mahony, M. Coleman, D. Fitzgibbon, B. Cooper, S. Harnedy, D. Brosnan, C. Lehane, A. Cadogan, P. Horgan, M. Cahalane.

Subs: L. Meade for Cahalane (46); D. Browne for O’Mahony (blood, 57-58); D. Kearney for Brosnan (63); R. O’Flynn for A. Cadogan (70).

WATERFORD: S. O’Keeffe, S. Fives, B. Coughlan, N. Connors, K. Bennett, T. de Burca, P. Mahony, J. Barron, C. Dunford, P. Mahony, S. Bennett, M. Kearney, T. Devine, P. Curran, T. Ryan.

Subs: C. Gleeson for K. Bennett (53); M. Shanahan for Kearney (55); B. O’Halloran for Dunford (61); J.  Dillon for Curran (61); M. Walsh for Ryan (66).

Referee: J. Keenan (Wicklow).