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2024 Munster GAA McGrath Cup Football Final – Cork 1-14 Kerry 1-14 (Cork won 4-3 on penalities)
Cork defeated Kerry 4-3 on penalties after the sides finished level at 1-14 to 1-14 after normal time in the Munster GAA McGrath Cup Football Final on Saturday January 20th at Páirc Uí Rinn.
Cork lift McGrath Cup after penalty shoot-out win over Kerry
✍️ @cormicaneoghan https://t.co/iIvwyfGi5Q
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) January 20, 2024
Cork lift McGrath Cup after penalty shoot-out win over Kerry
McGrath Cup Final
Cork 1-14 Kerry 1-14
(Cork win 4-3 on penalties)
Report by Eoghan Cormican for the Irish Examiner newspaper
Welcome January pragmatism.
The final whistle had no sooner sounded when the announcement came that there would be no extra-time. This McGrath Cup decider would instead proceed straight to penalties.
Welcome January silverware for Cork. The New Year might only be three weeks old, but for a building group off to Jim McGuinness country next weekend, they’ll never not appreciate turning over a market leader, even if that market leader was of only middling strength.
Patrick Doyle was the shootout saviour. The Cork goalkeeper, between the sticks while Micheál Aodh Martin continues to rehab a groin injury, struck Cork’s opening penalty and saved Kerry’s fourth from Darragh Roche. Kerry’s third taker, Micheál Burns, had lifted his effort over the crossbar.
These back-to-back misses handed the initiative to the hosts. Barry Dan O’Sullivan had to nail Kerry’s final penalty. He did. It was not enough.
Mark Cronin, following the successful dispatches of Doyle, Fionn Herlihy, and Chris Óg Jones, delivered the winning kick.
Penalties were required after Cork twice answered lead Kerry scores on the run in. Blake Murphy replied to Darragh Roche’s second free.
Two minutes into injury-time, sub Darragh Cashman displayed the necessary composure and confidence to cancel out Micheál Burns’ white flag of a minute earlier.
It was a second half where Cork wouldn’t let go of their opponents and their opponents squandered the opportunities to make more strenuous Cork’s need for constant answering.
The hosts turned around for the second period 1-7 to 0-7 in arrears. By the 47th minute, the hosts were ahead. 1-10 to 1-9.
A Chris Óg Jones goal on 43 minutes, either side of white flags from Brian O’Driscoll, Eoghan McSweeney, and Luke Fahy was the Cork comeback.
Tom O’Sullivan and Seán O’Shea were short at the far end. Stephen O’Brien and Keith Evans were wide.
These misses were not replicated by Cork. They pushed two in front with a quarter of an hour remaining.
A Kerry three-in-a-row from subs Conor Geaney and Roche (two frees) forced Cork into further comeback efforts. They provided all the right answers.
A robust first half had preceded it. Tackles and turnovers trumped flare and finesse. Brian O’Driscoll delivered a thumping hit on Dara Moynihan six minutes in.
Welcome to Leeside. The message: You’ll get nothing soft today.
O’Driscoll soon got the same message delivered back to him. Newcomer Cillian Burke crowded and crowbarred possession from him. The turnover ended with a Brian Ó Beaglaoich goal shot saved by Patrick Doyle.
Burke, a few minutes further on, was forced into overcarrying possession and coughed up a free. Doyle was later guilty of dragging Cork into a corner from which they coughed up the ball. The Kerry press on this latter instance was hard and high.
In short, there was nobody getting away with anything. Well, almost nobody.
Cork centre-forward David Buckley and the Kerry pair of Joe O’Connor and Killian Spillane were the exceptions.
Spillane kicked three first half points off the left. He was the one who dislodged the ball from Luke Fahy during the above mentioned Kerry press. O’Connor was equally effective around the middle.
On the Cork side, Buckley won and converted three opening half frees. He also added a fourth from play. He had the far more experienced Paul Murphy in bother.
Cork led 0-6 to 0-4 after the third of Buckley’s frees. Kerry then came with a charge. Seán O’Shea (free) and Burke tied proceedings before the arrival of the final’s first green flag.
Stand-in ‘keeper Doyle was penalised for faffing too long over a restart. Referee Donnacha O’Callaghan awarded a throw-in.
The ball was pushed goal bound. Dylan Geaney snapped and stitched. A Ronan Buckley point and Kerry had travelled from two behind to four in front – 1-7 to 0-6 – on 32 minutes.
It was a lead they ultimately weren’t allowed and couldn’t hold.
Scorers for Cork: D Buckley (0-5, 0-4 frees); C Óg Jones (1-1); E McSweeney (0-2); L Fahy, B O’Driscoll, R Deane (free), M Cronin, B Murphy, D Cashman (0-1 each).
Scorers for Kerry: D Geaney (1-1); S O’Shea (0-2 frees, 0-1m), K Spillane (0-3 each); D Roche (0-2, 0-2 frees); R Buckley, C Burke, G White, C Geaney, M Burns (0-1 each).
Cork: P Doyle; M Shanley, T Walsh, K Flahive; L Fahy, S Meehan, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; E McSweeney, D Buckley, B O’Driscoll; C Óg Jones, C Corbett, R Deane.
Subs: R Maguire for Walsh, M Cronin for Deane (both HT); C Maguire for McSweeney (53); F Herlihy for Buckley, D O’Mahony for Meehan (both 57); B Murphy for Corbett (60); D Cashman for Fahy (62).
Kerry: S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, D Casey; B Ó Beaglaoich, P Murphy, A Heinrich; J O’Connor, S O’Brien; R Buckley, D Geaney, C Burke; K Spillane, S O’Shea, D Moynihan.
Subs: G White for Heinrich, M Burns for Geaney, T O’Sullivan for Murphy, Stephen O’Brien for Buckley, BD O’Sullivan for Sean O’Brien, K Evans for Burke (all HT); C Geaney for Spillane (54); A Spillane for Moynihan, D Roche for O’Shea, D O’Connor for J O’Connor, D Bourke for Casey (all 57).
Referee: D O’Callaghan (Limerick).
Ticket Information
Live Streaming
The game will be streamed live on the TG4 YouTube page.
Team News
— Cork GAA (@OfficialCorkGAA) January 18, 2024
Cork (Mcgrath Cup final v Kerry): P Doyle; M Shanley, T Walsh, K Flahive; L Fahy, S Meehan, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; E McSweeney, D Buckley, B O’Driscoll; R Deane, C Corbett, C Óg Jones.
Subs: C Kelly, D O’Mahony, D Cashman, N Lordan, R Maguire, J O’Rourke, F Herlihy, M Cronin, C Maguire, B Murphy.
