Munster SFC final: Kerry 1-23 (1-2-19) Cork 1-15 (1-3-9)
This is how they respond to any perceived frailties in the Kingdom. Despite a running casualty list that steadily extended as the game progressed, Kerry softly decimated Cork’s challenge and spirit to win a sixth successive Munster senior football title.
Their now 87th title in all, having claimed 13 of the last 14, some have been harder earned, others more wildly celebrated, but few have been more satisfying than this one. Especially for manager Jack O’Connor.
Starting with only seven of their All-Ireland-winning starting team, with two more coming off the bench, Kerry simply rode the wave of Cork’s wind-aided advantage before promptly moving in for the kill in the second half. Just over three minutes after the restart, David Clifford raced across the Cork goal and buried his shot into the net, likely shaking the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks just off in the near distance. If that wasn’t the game-changer, Clifford’s monster two-pointer not long after certainly was.
On a blissfully sunny day in Killarney, 32,691 packed into Fitzgerald Stadium. Making it every bit the most resplendent sporting playground in the country, Kerry finished with 11 different scorers, including a telling eight points from four players off the bench. Right when Kerry went looking for them too.
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They say freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose, and seeking a first championship win over Kerry in Killarney since 1995, Cork certainly started with such abandon. A trio of two-pointers inside 11 minutes had them five points clear, only that was the best they had. The rest of their game was distinctly underwhelming in most parts, save for Brian O’Driscoll’s thunderbolt goal on the hour mark which briefly threatened the bring them right back into contention.
When David Buckley added another Cork point three minutes later, Kerry’s margin was down to two. Conor Corbett also sliced a two-point effort off the posts which could have further teased things. Still undaunted, Dylan Geaney burst through for the next score, Killian Spillane also scoring off the bench, before Tony Brosnan wrapped things up with another splendid two-pointer.
Cork didn’t score again after Buckley’s point, only managing 1-2 in the second half. Steven Sherlock will know he’s had better days in a Cork jersey, kept scoreless from play, but overall Cork’s enthusiasm for victory in their first Munster final for five years let them down, even when they appeared to have got themselves back in it.
“Definitely disappointed by the way we played,” said Cork manager John Cleary. “I think we’re capable of better than that. Hats off to Kerry, they deserved their win on the day. They played the more efficient football. I thought that we had too many turnovers, too many poor shot selections and, at this level, it comes back to haunt you.”
No such worries for O’Connor, who got the very best out of his available players. None more so than the midfield pairing of Mark O’Shea and Seán O’Brien, both performing like veterans, the latter making some spectacular fetches in the second half, injuring himself in the last of them. Keith Evans was also on fire at corner forward, O’Connor describing his performance as a “revelation”.
Tomás Kennedy started a full forward in place of injured captain Paul Geaney, and wasn’t far off being a revelation too. Geaney, however, did accept the first presentation of the Corn Páidí Uí Shé, fittingly, as he’s married to Ó Sé’s daughter Siún.
Kerry’s effort was wholesale, starting with Shane Murphy, steady in his kickouts throughout. Mike Breen lorded centre back and despite conceding those three two-pointers early on, Kerry’s defence was mostly razor-sharp.
O’Connor does have more worries on the injury front, starting with Paudie Clifford, who retired at half-time with the recurrence of a hamstring strain. The excellent Micheál Burns and Armin Heinrich were also called in due to injury, but again their replacements stepped up seamlessly.
“Just delighted the way we reacted in the second half,” said O’Connor, his team down 0-13 to 0-10 at the break. “It’s obviously very tough on the lads who are injured, but for the future of Kerry football it was great. We need to keep renewing and refreshing the Kerry panel.
“A good battle, a great occasion, delighted to see Fitzgerald Stadium almost full and a big Cork crowd. That created a tremendous atmosphere.”
David Clifford slowly warmed to the occasion, scoring three points from play in the first half, twice linking up with Diarmuid O’Connor. He then ignited things with his goal in the 39th minute. After giving his marker Daniel O’Mahony the proverbial roasting, Clifford twice raced across the face of the goal to ensure best positioning, his precision and power truly breathtaking. He finished with 1-6, 1-5 from play, and picked up another man-of-the-match.
Cork’s best spell came in those opening 11 minutes, O’Driscoll, followed by Mark Cronin, and then Seán McDonnell, taking the two-point honours from outside the arc. Albeit slightly wind-aided, they were up 0-8 to 0-3.
David Clifford got his first sniff of a goal after that, Patrick Doyle saving from close range. When Paudie Clifford got in on Kerry’s act, Cork’s lead was gradually eroded, the hosts level again on 25 minutes. Cork did push it back out to three points at the break, but the clear sense then was they needed to be further up the road.
KERRY: S Murphy; E Looney, J Foley, D Casey; T Morley, M Breen (0-0-1), A Heinrich (0-0-2); M O’Shea, S O’Brien, M Burns (0-0-1), P Clifford (0-0-1), D O’Connor; D Clifford (1-1-4, 1f), T Kennedy (0-0-2f), K Evans (0-0-2). Subs: G White (0-0-1) for Heinrich, T Brosnan (0-1-3) for P Clifford (both h-t, inj), K Spillane (0-0-1) for Kennedy (53 mins), D Geaney (0-0-1) for O’Brien (55), Trant for Burns (62, inj), E Healy for Morley (66).
CORK: P Doyle; M Shanley, D O’Mahony, S Meehan; B O’Driscoll (1-1-0), T Walsh, L Fahy; C O’Callaghan (0-0-1), I Maguire; P Walsh, S McDonnell (0-1-0), R Deane; M Cronin (0-1-3, 1f), C Óg Jones (0-0-2), S Sherlock (0-0-2, 1sl, 1′45). Subs: S Brady for Meehan, C Corbett for Deane (both 48 mins), D Buckley (0-0-1) for Walsh (59), S Walsh for S McDonnell (63), R Maguire for S Brady (65).
Referee: Paul Fallon (Down).
