Gaelic Games

Kerry win to deny Cork minors three Munster minor titles in a row

Kingdom win thanks to goals from Paddy Lane and Dara Hogan

Kerry’s captain Evan Boyle lifts the trophy. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Kerry’s captain Evan Boyle lifts the trophy. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Stephen Barry at Austin Stack Park
Fri Jun 02 2023 - 21:25

Munster MFC final

Kerry 2-10 Cork 0-11

Kerry completed a clean sweep of Munster football titles as goals from Paddy Lane and Dara Hogan reversed the form book to deny Cork’s minors three in a row.

The Rebels got the goals in their opening victory over the same opposition last month but it was Kerry who found the net twice in the first half in Tralee.

Cork had started brightly and led by 0-5 to 0-3 after 20 minutes, with late replacement Darragh Clifford scoring once and setting up two more.

Lane turned the game when blasting 1-1 in the 22nd minute. The Kerry midfield had been choking Cork and they coughed up a turnover that allowed Ben Murphy to pick out Lane’s reverse run to round the keeper.

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Timothy Cullinane and Odhran Foley brought Cork back level but the Kingdom finished with another goal.

Man of the match Murphy, wearing number three, raided forward again to play in Hogan who snuck the ball to the net. 2-4 to 0-7 at half-time.

David O’Leary led the Cork response. He could’ve had two goals, one shot hammered off the crossbar, the other saved by James Hoare, but did register the first point of the half. Two more from Cullinane and Dara Sheedy brought them level.

Kerry had gone 25 minutes without raising a white flag but found the legs to outscore Cork by 0-6 to 0-1 from there to the finish, with substitutes Paudie Fitzgerald and Stephen Gannon seeing the game out.

Cork full back Frank Hurley was sent off for yellow- and black-card fouls in stoppage time as Lane took his tally to 1-5.

Kerry now face Kildare in an All-Ireland quarter-final. Cork must meet Leinster champions Dublin.

KERRY – J Hoare; D Mulvihill, B Murphy, I Brosnan; P Moynihan, K O’Shea, G Evans; E Boyle, D Kirby; D O’Keeffe, T Kennedy (0-2), S Ó Cuinn (0-1); D Hogan (1-0), O Healy, P Lane (1-5, 0-5 frees). Subs: P Fitzgerald (0-1) for O’Keeffe (40), A Kennelly for Healy (43 mins), S Gannon (0-1) for Ó Cuinn (44), P Walsh for Hogan (52), A Ó Beaglaíoch for Murphy (60+4).

CORK – B Curtin (0-1 free); N O’Shea, F Hurley, M Ahern; O Foley (0-1), G Daly, T Kiely; M O’Brien, D Clifford (0-1); T Cullinane (0-3), D Sheedy (0-3, one free), D O’Leary (0-1); D O’Mullane, S Coakley (0-1), O O’Callaghan. Subs: J O’Leary for O’Mullane (h-t), M Hetherington for Clifford (43 mins), C Mullins for Foley (52), G Holland for Cullinane (57), S O’Leary for Kiely (60+1).

Referee – E Morrissey (Waterford).