Cork finished strongly to defeat Waterford by 1-23 to 1-20 at Thurles and book a July 1^st Munster hurling final date with Clare.

Trailing by a point in injury time, the Rebels - who played catch-up throughout - finally won the day with four late unanswered points from Shane Kingston, Patrick Horgan, Colm Spillane and Seamus Harnedy.  

The holders looked set to miss out on the provincial decider - which will be a repeat of last year's after the Banner County saw off Limerick in today's other Round Five round-robin clash - as they trailed by two points with four minutes of normal time left only for captain Harnedy to take a pass from Horgan and plant a shot in the back of the Waterford net to make it 1-19 to 1-18.

The losers crept back ahead but Kingston and Horgan points edged the Leesiders into the ascendancy by the minimum margin with four of seven minutes of injury time left to be played. Left corner back Spillane then boomed over a tremendous Cork score from inside his own '45' and Harnedy ensured that they prevailed by three points in the end.

This was a surreal game as for long periods Cork looked destined to suffer their first defeat of the campaign and slip into a preliminary quarter-final against either Carlow or Westmeath in three weeks. With 14,737 in attendance, Waterford came very close to bagging their first win - what a parting shot that would have been!

This was a historic day for the losers as their veteran campaigner Michael 'Brick' Walsh was breaking the all-time championship appearance record, pulling on the county shirt for the 74^th time, while their manager was also stepping down after five years in charge.

Waterford went into the game in the unusual circumstances of knowing that it was going to be their last appearance in this year's championship regardless of the outcome, while the Rebels needed a win to confirm their place in the Munster final.

Determined to do their departing manager Derek McGrath proud in his last game at the helm, Na Deise controlled much of the early exchanges to take a commanding 0-15 to 0-11 interval advantage, Pauric Mahony raising seven while flags before the break.

Despite ostensibly having nothing to play for, the Suirsiders roared out of the blocks to storm into a 0-10 to 0-6 lead inside 20 minutes. Straining under the pressure, the Rebels hit back with a run of points from Horgan (free), Daniel Kearney and Conor Lehane.

But the underdogs, who lost Noel Connors to injury in the 24^th minute, reeled off five of the next seven points - with Tommy Ryan, the excellent Tom Devine and Mahony all on target - to deservedly lead by four at the short whistle.

Bill Cooper slotted over a fantastic score from distance on the left wing to open the second-half scoring but Harnedy was deemed to have over-carried whilst bearing down on the Waterford goal with a couple of defenders making life difficult for him. With scores proving hard to come by, Horgan (free) fired over his fourth in the 46^th minute but Na Deise replied immediately through substitute DJ Foran.

Cooper's second flew over from the right wing to reduce the arrears to two again - 0-16 to 0-14 - and Horgan's next free unexpectedly went wide with 21 minutes left. Waterford's momentum had been disrupted by the loss of three men to injury and Mark Coleman's sumptuous sideline cut duly made it a one-point affair with 20 minutes left.

Devine was nearly in for a Waterford goal but Conor O'Sullivan flicked the sliothar away with some inspirational last-gasp defending; Horgan's strike at the three-quarters stage made it sixteen points apiece to set up a grandstand finale.

The breeze-assisted Rebels had banged over five of the first six points since the resumption but any thoughts that they would now take control were dispelled when Tommy Ryan ghosted in from the right to plant the ball in the back of their net on 54 minutes - 1-16 to 0-16. Lehane and Ryan traded points after Walsh, who set up that goal, departed to a standing ovation from both sets of supporters.

Waterford retained their three-point cushion going into the last eight minutes as the Rebels' wides tally rose to 15. Cooper's third was cancelled out by Waterford sub Mauric Shanahan and Coleman's 64^th-minute point ensured a thrilling finish … 1-18 to 0-19.

Up popped Harnedy with the Rebels' goal but Mahony's free on 68 minutes drew Na Deise level again. With the match very much on a knife edge, the board went up announcing that there would be no fewer than seven minutes of injury time. Mahony's tap-over free restored Waterford's lead in the second added minute but Cork would hit the last four scores...

Douglas clubman Kingston equalised with an inspirational solo point, Cork needing victory to squeeze out Limerick on points difference and secure a provincial final berth…

Horgan landed the lead score from 65 metres following a superb Cooper block-down on Ryan; Spillane added another on 76 minutes and Harnedy delivered Cork's 23^rd point with 30 seconds left to see them over the line by the skin of their teeth.

Cork - Anthony Nash; Sean O'Donoghue, Damien Cahalane, Colm Spillane; Christopher Joyce (0-1), Eoin Cadogan, Mark Coleman (0-2, 1sl); Darragh Fitzgibbon (0-1), Bill Cooper (0-4); Luke Meade, Conor Lehane (0-3), Daniel Kearney (0-2); Shane Kingston (0-2), Seamus Harnedy (1-3), Pat Horgan (0-05, 2f, 1 '65'). Subs: Conor O'Sullivan for O'Donoghue (45mins), Michael Cahalane for Meade (61)

Waterford - Ian O'Regan; Ian Kenny, Conor Gleeson, Noel Connors; Michael Walsh, Austin Gleeson (0-1), Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron (0-1), Pauric Mahony (0-8, 4f, 1'65); Kevin Moran, Colin Dunford, Jake Dillon (0-2); Brian O'Halloran (0-2), Tom Devine (0-1), Tommy Ryan (1-3). Subs: Seamus Keating for Connors (24mins), DJ Foran (0-1) for Dillon (40), Stephen Roche for O'Halloran (45), Stephen Bennett for Walsh (55), Maurice Shanahan (0-1) for Bennett (60).

Ref: John Keenan (Wicklow)

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