Waterford 1-15
Cork 1-26
Cork are Munster Minor champions for the first time since 2017 - as the young Rebels saw off a spirited Waterford with 11 points to spare in the Semple Stadium sun.
Jack Leahy led the way with a wonderful performance for the favourites, with Diarmuid Healy and William Buckley impressing for the Rebels. The Deise full-forward line were excellent in their own right, but with scores spread throughout the side - few could say Cork weren't value for their victory.
The Rebels were relentless from the offset and it took them just 13 seconds to billow the Deise net - Eoin O'Leary found in the corner by Diarmuid Healy and he drove in to batter the sliotar past Cian Troy.
William Buckley hit the first point from the right flank, while Healy also got in on the act - 1-2 to no score with not even two minutes on the clock.
The brilliant Jack Leahy got his first from a free, before Deise nerves were somewhat settled as Charlie Treen found Billy O'Connell to split the posts on 4 minutes for Waterford's first score.
Mikey Finn then found the radar from a Ben Nyhan pass, but Gary O'Keeffe's side settled somewhat courtesy of two frees from Ballygunner's Patrick Fitzgerald.
Nyhan then showed wonderful skill to point from the right hand sideline, before Diarmuid Healy drove through to point from midfield for the seriously impressive Rebel youngsters.
Jack Leahy was found in space to score before being fouled and cutting an effort between the uprights, and as Mikey Finn knocked over a beautiful sideline cut from the right flank - the scoreline was 1-09 and 0-03 and it was clear Waterford had a huge task to contain Cork's devastating forwards.
Peter Cummins had a low driven effort saved by Cork netminder Paudie O'Sullivan, before a '65 from Fitzgerald made it 1-09 to 0-04 at the water break, the rampant Rebels with six separate scorers in the opening quarter.
Cummins soon had a second goal opportunity on 20 minutes but the Brickey Rangers man was superbly hooked as he was about to let fly. Leahy then showed maturity and class way beyond his years with another superb distant free, before a moment of magic from Jack Twomey lit up Semple Stadium.
The De La Salle youngster received the sliotar in the left corner and tore past his marker to the edge of the square, producing a sensational strike with just one hand, to cannon the ball into the net - leaving six points between the sides.
Cork could've had a green flag in response moments later, were it not for a brilliant hook by Aaron O'Neill on Leahy.
He pointed the requisite '65, before Twomey beat two men to score a super point. Eoin O'Leary then beat two men to score, before William Buckley turned the burners on in midfield and also found the radar.
O'Leary made it 1-2 to his personal tally, before a beautiful score from Buckley had Cork ten to the good on the cusp of half-time.
Leahy pointed another after Diarmuid Healy was brought down, before the Deise ended the half with a good score from the lively Peter Cummins. 1-17 to 1-6 at the break, meant the Deise had work to do.
Timmy Wilk hit a beauty at the restart cutting the ball from right to left, before two consecutive scores for the Deise - Fitzgerald from a free, and Twomey pointing from way out having been found in space.
Wilk then grabbed his second when found in acres, before a brilliant Cummins effort from the right wing. Leahy (2) and Fitzgerald (3) traded dead balls - as Cork led by 9 with 15 minutes to play.
Patrick Fitzgerald showed a moment of magic, blocking down a Cork defender, taking on 4 men and being fouled - before he played a quick free to Twomey, he cracked a shot toward goal, but the sliotar whizzed over the crossbar.
Two points in succession from the stick of Leahy - one from play, put Cork in cruise-control, before Cummins showed great skill and was fouled and Fitzgerald did the rest.
Leahy then twisted inside substitute Aidan Higgins to raise yet another white flag, before Buckley fell and got up and did the same. Sub Adam Walsh completed the Rebels scoring on 57 minutes - before a Fitzgerald free was saved but Twomey tore past 3 men to point.
It proved not enough for Waterford - who had work to do after a slow start, but they can take heart from how they grew into the game - with many of these players underage again next season.
Waterford: Cian Troy; Conor Keane, Craig O’Keeffe, Rory Dobbyn; Billy O’Connell, Charlie Treen, Aaron O’Neill; Seanie Callaghan, Fionn Hallinan; Liam O’Siothcháin, Jack O’Donnell, Marc Ó Mathúna; Patrick Fitzgerald, Jack Twomey, Peter Cummins.
Scorers: Patrick Fitzgerald (0-8, 0-7f, 0-1 '65); Jack Twomey (1-04); Peter Cummins (0-02); Billy O'Connell (0-01)
Cork: Paudie O’Sullivan; Darragh O’Sullivan, Kevin Lyons, James Byrne; James Dwyer, Ben O’Connor, Timmy Wilk; Mikey Finn, Cillian Tobin; Diarmuid Healy; Ben Nyhan, Tadhg O’Connell; Eoin O’Leary, Jack Leahy, William Buckley.
Scorers: Jack Leahy (0-11, 0-7f, 0-1 '65); Eoin O'Leary (1-02); William Buckley (0-04); Timmy Wilk and Diarmuid Healy (0-02 each); Mikey Finn (0-02, 0-1 sdl.); Cillian Tobin, Ben Nyhan, Adam Walsh (0-01 each)
Referee: John O’Halloran (Limerick)
