Gaelic Games

Kerry claim Munster Under-20 title ending Cork’s reign

Last year’s Munster and All-Ireland champions beaten in strong second-half display

The Kerry Under-20 team celebrate their victory. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Wed Mar 4 2020 - 22:36

Kerry 0-17 Cork 1-9

Kerry regained the Munster Under-20 Championship with a dominant second-half display at Austin Stack Park on Wednesday evening, ending Cork’s reign as Munster and All-Ireland Champions at the grade.

Cork won’t lack regret about some of the chances they left behind them in the first-half, but can have little complaints after scoring only three times in a wretched second-half for them.

Kerry led by 0-3 to 0-1 after 15 minutes and it could have been more after a combination of Cork defenders cleared a goal-bound shot from Patrick D’Arcy off the line at the end of the first quarter.

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The Rebels made no mistake when presented with their own chance after 25 minutes as Blake Murphy punished the Kerry defence for some sloppy play. Giving his team a 1-4 to 0-4 advantage. Cork then kicked several efforts short into goalkeeper Marc Kelliher's hands, failing to capitise on their purple patch. Two more points for Murphy gave the visitors a lead of 1-6 to 0-5 at half-time.

There was far more purpose about Kerry's play after the restart though and they were level after 41 minutes at 0-10 to 1-7. Sean O'Brien's prowess was key to this turnaround and it was a Sean Horan point that brought the side's level.

Sean Quilter's introduction yielded two points for Kerry as they went ahead by 0-14 to 1-8. Mark Cronin scored two of Cork's three points in the second period - approaching the final five minutes - while Blake Murphy made it a two-point game for the Rebels but Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich restored Kerry's three-point lead before extending it to four with a fisted effort in the 58th minute.

Substitute Sean Keane put the seal on Kerry’s five-point win - one in which they had 10 different scorers. They now go on to the All-Ireland semi-finals on St Patrick’s Day where they will face the Connacht champions in Croke Park.

KERRY: M Kelliher; O Fitzgerald, J McCarthy, D McCarthy; L Brosnan, D Casey, S O'Brien; D Lyne (0-1), M O'Gara; P Walsh (0-3 frees), P D'Arcy (0-2), K Falvey (0-1); P O'Shea (0-1), S Horan (0-1), R Ó Beaglaoich (0-5, 0-2 frees, 0-1 mark). Subs: E Horan for O Fitzgerald (h-t), S Keane (0-1) for P Walsh (43 mins), S Quilter (0-2, 0-1 free), for K Falvey (45 mins), S O'Connell for S Horan (48 mins), D Geaney for P D'Arcy (53 mins), T Sugrue for S Quilter (blood 57 mins) S Quilter for I Sugrue (59 mins).

CORK: C O'Leary; C O'Shea, D O'Mahony, D Phelan; D Buckley, B Foley, E O'Hanlon; J Lawton, D O'Connell; J Murphy (0-1), A Ó Luasa, B Hayes; M Cronin (0-4, 0-1 free), F Herlihy (0-1) , B Murphy (1-3), Subs: B Lynch for D Phelan (28 mins), C Corbett for A Ó Luasa (h-t), B Curtin for J Lawton (37 mins), D Hayes for B Hayes (51 mins) and C Russell for F Herlihy (58 mins).

Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary)

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