Cork minors will take learnings for Clare showdown

Kerry 0-12

Cork 1-7

MURT MURPHY REPORTS

MICHEÁL O’Sullivan was in optimistic form following the Cork minors’ defeat to Kerry in the Munster MFC quarter-final at Austin Stack Park in Tralee on Tuesday evening.

While Kerry won, if Cork had taken just one of their goal chances then the result might well have been reversed. Both teams appeared rusty in their first competitive game and the most decisive stat was that Kerry won 12 of the 22 Cork kick-outs and scored 0-5 from those. Also, Cork only managed eight scores from 22 shots while Kerry scored 12 from 30 attempts.

All is not lost for Micheál O’Sullivan’s charges, who still advance to the last four of the provincial championship where they will meet Clare away in a semi-final next Tuesday.

Indeed, Carbery Rangers clubman O’Sullivan was philosophical post game and accepted it was a game that could have gone either way

‘We came down here to put in a performance and, to a degree, we delivered a performance at the level we would have envisaged. We ran Kerry to two points in a game away from home, and in a game where we did not know what the expectations for ourselves were coming down,’ the Cork boss explained.

‘Look, I think when we look back on the video we will see that it was a game that we could have won by seven or eight points or Kerry could have won by the same margin. It could have gone either way but it was the first day out. I know kick-outs were an issue for us and we will try and rectify things now for Clare next week and that will be our focus now.’

Cork struggled to convert early chances in the opening half and Kerry quickly built a two-point lead. Dylan O’Neill almost found the net for Cork after five minutes but a terrific block from wing-back Gavin O’Keeffe denied the Rebels.

Kerry were defending well in their shape, however Cork almost exploited a gap in the Kingdom rearguard, Humphrey Canty made a drive for goal but Kerry got the numbers back, committing a foul and Sean Whelton got Cork on the board after ten minutes.

As the Kingdom squandered a chance at one end Cork found the net at the other. Finn O’Dwyer had the initial goal chance that was blocked by a host of Kerry bodies, in the aftermath O’Dwyer was tripped by O’Keeffe and referee Eoin Morrissey awarded a penalty. Danny Miskella, son of 2010 Cork All-Ireland winner John, stepped up to take the spot kick and blasted to the net, sending Kacper Robak the wrong way. The Rebels almost found the net for a second time in a 60-second window. O’Neill made another swashbuckling run for the Kerry goal but Robak denied him from close range.

Kerry kicked four points in succession to build a 0-7 to 1-1 lead by the 27th minute. Whelton then scored Cork’s only score from play as Kerry retired 0-7 to 1-2 at the interval.

Momentum stayed with the Kingdom in the third quarter, Ruadhán Donovan added the opening score of the half, Ronan Carroll almost goaled soon after but the feet of Denjoe O’Riordan denied Kerry the chance to unfurl the green flag.

Robak was again called into action in the 38th minute, the Dr Crokes net-minder again thwarting O’Neill with another stunning save from close range. Cork did however end the quarter looking the sharper, O’Neill drawing another foul for Whelton to convert and from the resulting kickout O’Neill was gifted a score for a one-point game come quarter's end, 0-8 to 1-4.

Kerry finished the stronger in the final ten minutes, Cian MacGearailt kicked two vital points off the bench as Kerry held out for a two-point win.

Scorers

Kerry: G White, J McCarthy, C MacGearailt 0-2 each; R Donovan, B Murphy, R O’Connell, J Joy, R Carroll (f), M Horan 0-1 each.

Cork: S Whelton (1 f), D O’Neill (2 f) 0-3 each; D Miskella 1-0 pen; C McCarthy 0-1.

Kerry: K Robak ; F Ryan, M Lynch, R Donovan; S Ó Cuinn, A Ó Beaglaoich, G O’Keeffe; B Murphy, K Dennehy; G White, J McCarthy, R O’Connell; J Joy, R Carroll, M Horan.

Subs: E O’Flaherty for S Ó Cuinn (38), O Fleming for R O’Connell (44), C MacGearailt for J McCarthy (52), D Sargent for G O’Keeffe (56), E Murphy for R Carroll (61).

Cork: Denjoe O’Riordan (Kilshannig); Oisin Harrington (Kilmeen), Aaron Keane (Kinsale), Joe Mouret (Douglas); Cathal McCarthy (St Colum’s), Cian O’Connor (Ballincollig), Cian Ahern (Ballincollig); Harry Cogan (Glanmire), Ben O’Shea (Mallow); Danny Miskella (Ballincollig), Danny O’Donovan (Castlehaven), Sean Whelton (St James); Humphrey Canty (Newcestown), Finn O’Dwyer (Cullen), Dylan O’Neill (Carbery Rangers).

Subs: E Lehane (Dohenys) for D O’Donovan (36), D Mellerick (Nemo Rangers) for S Whelton, P McGrath (Douglas) for F O’Dwyer (both 50).

Referee: Eoin Morrissey (Waterford).