The Rebels are awaiting the result of today’s second quarter-final between Kilkenny and Limerick before discovering their last-four opponents.

A Limerick win will see an open draw take place but a win for Kilkenny will see the Cats play Waterford, with Cork to face Galway.

Cork booked their place in a first semi-final since 2010 with a three-point victory against Waterford at Semple Stadium today.

In the 12th championship meeting between the sides since 2002, Cork scored seven of the last eight points of the game to clinch a deserved win.

Waterford had led three points during the second half of a seesaw battle but couldn’t close the game out.

Ahead by 0-18 to 1-12, John Mullane flashed a shot wide when a point would have sent the Déise four clear.

Cork, who used their bench brilliantly, then opened up with a run of five unanswered points – with sub Cathal Naughton popping over two of those scores.

Maurice Shanahan’s 68th minute free reduced the gap to just a point again before veteran Cork defender Seán Óg Ó’hAilpín, recalled to the starting line-up, sent over a massive score from the 65m line to extend Cork’s lead.

Pat Horgan’s free in the first minute of stoppage time completed the scoring but there was time for some late drama.

Waterford registered just one point in the final 14 minutes of normal time – plus three added on for stoppages.

They did come close to a dramatic equalising goal in stoppage time, however, but Richie Foley’s 65 dropped onto the woodwork.

And Waterford were also left aggrieved in the previous play that a free was not awarded 20m from goal when Mullane looked to have been hauled down off the ball.

At half-time, Cork led by just a single point – 1-9 to 0-11 – having been six clear early on.

The first half in itself was split into two halves of domination as Cork opened up a six-point advantage – 1-5 to 0-2 – before Waterford came storming back into contention.

The game got off to a blistering start as Luke O’Farrell rattled the Waterford crossbar within 20 seconds, with Paudie O’Sullivan hitting the butt of the post on the follow-up.

In a frantic opening, the sides were level twice before Cork took over, hitting 1-2 without reply to gain the initiative.

In the 12th minute, Liam Lawlor did well to block Pat Horgan as the Cork corner forward threatened to score an opening goal for the Rebels but it arrived through Jamie Coughlan four minutes later.

Coughlan, a late call-up to the starting line-up in place of Conor Lehane, who was ruled out sick, took a pass from Paudie O’Sullivan and burst through the Waterfod defence with alarming ease to score at the Killinan End.

That goal opened up a six-point lead for Cork but Waterford began to settle, with John Mullane hugely influential in a deep-lying role around midfield.

Mullane’s movement and ability to create scores for teammates, with Pauric Mahony profiting on two occasions, forced Cork boss Jimmy Barry-Murphy into a reaction, with Seán Óg Ó’hAilpín moved off Mullane and Tom Kenny pressed into a marking role.

Once Waterford got on a roll, they proved very difficult to stop and six successive points put them a point clear, 0-11 to 1-7, approaching half-time.

But Cork, to their credit, responded with a brace of scores before the break to establish a narrow one-point lead at the break.

Scorers:

Cork: P Horgan 0-7 (4f), J Coughlan 1-1, C McCarthy 0-3, P Cronin, P O’Sullivan & C Naughton 0-2 each, S Óg Ó’hAilpín & L O’Farrell 0-1 each.

Waterford: M Shanahan 0-9 (6f, 1 65), Pauric Mahony 0-3, S Walsh & J Mullane 0-2 each, T Browne (f), S Molumphy& S Prendergast 0-1 each.

CORK: A Nash; S O’Neill, S McDonnell, B Murphy; T Kenny, E Cadogan, S Óg Ó’hAilpín; D Kearney, P Cronin; J Coughlan, C McCarthy, N McCarthy; P O’Sullivan, L O’Farrell, P Horgan.

Subs: D Sweetnam for Kearney (h.t.), C Naughton for N McCarthy (46), J Gardiner for Cadogan (51), S Moylan for Coughlan (56), L McLoughlin for C McCarthy (60).

WATERFORD: S O’Keeffe; N Connors, L Lawlor, S Daniels; T Browne, M Walsh, K Moran; S Molumphy, Philip Mahony; M Shanahan, S Prendergast, Pauric Mahony; J Mullane, S Walsh, T Ryan.

Subs: E McGrath for Ryan (43), S Casey for S Walsh (58), R Foley for Browne (69).

Referee: B Kelly (Westmeath).