Heartbreak for Cork minor footballers

Cork boss: Donal O'Sullivan.

IT was a heartbreaking end to their season, as Cork’s minor footballers bowed out of the championship after an extra-time Munster MFC semi-final loss, 0-16 to 1-12, to rivals Kerry in Tralee on Wednesday night.

It was an heroic effort by the Cork young guns that just came up short when Kerry sub Mike Foley kicked a late winner, just after Dan Ó Duinnín’s terrific goal had levelled the game for the Rebels, and had looked certain to send this semi-final to a replay, which would have been the fairest result.

The sides were evenly matched in the opening half before Kerry took a 0-9 to 0-7 half-time lead, and this was stretched to 0-11 to 0-8 inside the last ten minutes.

Cork responded in style as Ó Duinnín, Ilen Rovers’ Stephen Leonard and Shane Kingston brought Cork level and forced extra-time.

Kerry took a 0-15 to 0-12 lead in extra time, but then came all the late drama, which, unfortunately, has ended Cork’s interest in the minor football championship for 2015, while Kerry now face Tipp in the final.

Scorers

Cork: Dan Ó Duinnín 1-3, S Sherlock 0-3 (2f), S Leonard 0-2 (1f), S Kingston, S McEvoy, C O’Rourke, E Ryle 0-1 each.

Kerry: C Geaney 0-5 (3f), C Linnane 0-2f, S O’Shea 0-2 each, G O’Sullivan, S O’Sullivan, M O’Connor, G White, B Courtney, R Buckley, M Foley 0-1 each.