Waterford went down to Cork by 2-10 to 0-8 on the opening day of the National Camogie League at a bright and breezy Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The home side did the heavy lifting in the first half as goals from Ciara O’Sullivan and Hannah Looney gave them an eleven point advantage at the break.
The Déise endured a frustrating afternoon in front of goal as eleven shots dropped short. Lorraine Bray and Niamh Rockett tried to rally the troops in the second half as both of them struck two points from play.
Noelle Murphy and Eimear O'Neill made their senior debuts. Murphy made a fabulous first half save from Orlaith Cahalane. Cork took the field with ten of the team that won the All Ireland.
Waterford played against the breeze in the first half. The visitors sent seven balls short and hit the post.
In the fifth minute, Saoirse McCarthy sped past three Déise defenders and fed Orlaith Cahalane but she shot across the face of goal and wide. Sorcha McCartan got the scoreboard moving.
On ten minutes, Hannah Looney slipped a pass to Ciara O'Sullivan who found the far corner of the net. Sorcha McCartan made it 1-2 to 0-0. Beth Carton opened Waterford's account in the twelfth minute. She shrugged off two Cork defenders, dropped the sliotar to the ground and struck over off her right. A foul on Maggie Gostl saw Carton add a free. Waterford didn't score again for the rest of the half.
A diving save from Noelle Murphy denied Orlaith Cahalane a green flag but Cork's second goal eventually arrived on 27 minutes. A Carton free fell short and the ball was worked up to the other end of the field. Cahalane sent the ball across to Looney who tried to get a hurley to it but booted it over the line. A Kate Wall point left the hosts 2-7 to 0-2 ahead at the break. Five of the six Cork attackers on the scoresheet.
Waterford missed two more chances on the restart. Eimear O’Neill took on the free taking duties and split the posts with her first attempt. Niamh Rockett then plucked a high ball from O’Neill and raised her first white flag. Sorcha McCartan converted a 45 at the other end.
Lorraine Bray burst forward from centre back and swept the ball over from 45 metres out. Cork speedster Saoirse McCarthy replied immediately. Rockett then blasted her second point from play to leave it 2-9 to 0-6 heading into the last quarter.
Bray never threw in the towel and fired her second point. O’Neill knocked over a consolation free in injury time.
