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2025 Dalata Hotel Group GAA Under 20 Munster Football Championship – Kerry 1-22 Cork 1-12

April 7 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Kerry defeated Cork by 1-22 to 1-12 in Round 2 of the Dalata Hotel Group GAA Under 20 Munster Football Championship Phase 2 on Monday April 7th at Austin Stack Park Tralee.

Kerry U20s close in on place in Munster final with easy victory over Cork

Report by Eoghan Cormican courtesy of the Irish Examiner newspaper

Munster U20 Football Championship: Kerry 1-22 Cork 1-12

The first Cork-Kerry meeting of the year. The first of five likely meetings in the coming weeks. First blood, as is nearly always the case, to the green and gold. The county’s eighth consecutive championship win over the neighbours at all grades.

May 11, 2023, remains untouched. May 11, 2023, was the evening the Cork minors scored a no-jeopardy Munster championship win over Kerry. It remains the last occasion a Cork football team bested the green and gold. Since then, and including this one-sided Phase 2, Round 2 Munster U20 fixture, there have been three defeats at minor, three more at U20, and a pair at senior.

The gap is not closing. The gap at underage, as reinforced during the winter schools season, is widening and widening. The average losing margin across the six referenced underage defeats is seven points.

That losing average and the 10-point difference here would have been far greater was it not for Cork’s late burst that took the ugly look off a scoreline that Kerry 1-20 to 0-8 clear when Liam Evans became the eighth Kerry youngster to write his name on the scoresheet. But not even a subsequent 1-4 from Ray O’Mahony’s side could bring the final gap into single digits.

And let’s not forget either that Kerry were without two of their brightest talents, Ben Murphy and Cormac Dillon. Countering that, of course, is Cork lining out without half of their starting attack. Injured and absent and missed were Dara Sheedy, Bryan Hayes, and Ed Myers.

Cork substitute Luke Shorten’s point on 52 minutes was Cork’s first in 12 minutes and second of the second half. Gearóid Daly, the stylish Darragh Gough, and the extremely lively Dylan O’Neill followed in instant succession. They hadn’t kicked as many scores in the previous half an hour. Danny Miskella, fed by Daly, goaled on the hour mark. Mere window dressing.

Two wins from two, Kerry are closing on assuring a place in the Munster decider, irrespective of how they fare at home to Clare next Tuesday. Cork must win at home to Tipp the same evening.

“Some stuff we did very well, some stuff we did very poor. We wouldn’t be happy with the ending, we conceded 1-4 without reply,” began Kerry boss Tómás Ó Sé.

“It was important to get a good start to the second half, and we did get that. Got a couple of two-pointers and defended very well at times. Happy with the win. We wanted to win at home. But again, it is only one win. We’ll play Clare next and I’ve no doubt that Cork, who were down three of their starting forwards, they’re a different team [with them].”

A notable breeze supported Cork in the opening half. Their shot count would confirm that they weren’t in a position to harvest those elements. The visitors managed just eight first-half shots. Five were successful, two were short, and one wide. By contrast, the hosts, into the breeze, got off 14. The hosts were dominant.

Staying with the notable, there was no ignoring the Cork turnovers. Unforced turnovers at that. Execution of simple passes betrayed Cork and gifted cheap possession to their opponents.

Management will also have identified the ease at which Kerry sliced through. The outstanding example of such arrived on 20 minutes. Half-back Eddie Healy collected a Kerry restart on his own 45-metre line. He travelled from there to the opposing 20-metre line untouched. Nobody came to him, rather than him weaving around red obstacles. The finish was all too incredibly easy.

Healy’s second from half-back shoved their advantage out to seven, 1-7 to 0-3. Their goal arrived five minutes earlier. Ciarán Collins, another first-half point scorer, offloaded to Ronan Carroll and he slotted home. Paddy Lane helped himself to four first-half points.

That strong second half start Ó Sé referenced involved outgunning their guests 1-11 to 0-1 in the 22 minutes after half-time. Daniel Kirby, Lane, Healy, and Carroll kicked at their leisure. Sub Killian Dennehy contributed too.

Any Cork-Kerry Munster final will be played on Leeside? Can Cork eradicate the gap in the space of three weeks?

Scorers for Kerry: P Lane (0-7, tp, 0-2 frees); R Carroll (1-2); D Kirby (0-4, tp); E Healy (0-3); O Ferris (0-2, tp); C Collins, T Kennedy, L Evans, K Dennehy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: D Gough (0-5, tp, tpf); D Miskella (1-1); D O’Neill (0-3); L Shorten, C Clifford, G Daly (0-1 each).

KERRY: M Tansley (Austin Stacks); G Evans (Keel), D Stack (Kilcummin), L Evans (Keel); A Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht), D O’Connor (Kenmare Shamrocks), E Healy (Listowel Emmets); E Boyle (Ballyduff), M Lynch (Dr Crokes); C Collins (Rathmore), D O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), D Kirby (Austin Stacks); P Lane (Austin Stacks), T Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahillys), R Carroll (Austin Stacks).
SUBS: K Dennehy (Cordal) for O’Sullivan (40); J Murphy (Austin Stacks) for O’Connor (44); E Daly (Valentia) for Collins (45); A Kennelly (Listowel Emmets) for Healy, O Ferris (Ardfert) for Boyle (both 50).

CORK: B Curtin (Valley Rovers); C Clifford (Éire Óg), C Molloy (Nemo Rangers), N O’Shea (Urhan); M Woods (Valley Rovers), G Daly (Mallow), S O’Leary (Kilmurry); T O’Keeffe (St Finbarr’s), B O’Connell (Ballincollig); A O’Connell (Kilshannig), C Gillespie (Aghabullogue), A O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue); D Miskella (Ballincollig), D Gough (Clonakilty), D O’Neill (Carbery Rangers).
SUBS: D Clifford (Éire Óg) for O’Keeffe, D Harrington (Clonakilty) for Woods (both HT); L Shorten (Tadhg MacCartaigh) for O’Connell (45); O Foley (Bishopstown) for O’Connell (52); G Kearney (Kinsale) for Gough (58).

Referee: N Quinn (Clare).

Fixture Details

2025 Dalata Hotel Group GAA Under 20 Munster Football Championship Phase 2 Round 2
Kerry v Cork
Venue: Austin Stack Park Tralee at 7:30pm
Referee: Niall Quinn (Clare)
Live on TG4

Ticket Information

General Admission: €10
Students/OAPs: €5
Under 16’s: Free

Tickets are available from participating Centra and Supervalu outlets or online via the link below.

Click here to buy tickets

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Details

Date:
April 7
Time:
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Event Category:

Venue

Austin Stack Park Tralee
Tralee, Ireland + Google Map

GAA Units

Clare GAA
Cork GAA
Kerry GAA
Limerick GAA
Tipperary GAA
Waterford GAA
US GAA