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2022 Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship Semi Final – Kerry 1-16 Cork 0-5
Kerry defeated Cork by 1-16 to 0-5 in the Semi Final of the Electric Ireland Munster Minor Football Championship on Thursday May 12th at Austin Stack Park Tralee.
Cork are trounced in Tralee with Kingdom in cruise control
Report by Tony Leen for the Irish Examiner newspaper
Munster MFC semi-final Kerry 1-16 Cork 0-5
STILL no chink of light for Cork football as a tepid display in Tralee offered Kerry the platform to advance with relative ease to a Munster minor football final on June 1.
There, they will face either Tipperary or Round 2 with this Cork outfit, the two counties meeting in the semi-final next Thursday in Thurles. On the basis of what transpired in Tralee Thursday evening, Tipp won’t feel in any way overawed at the prospect of Cork coming to Semple Stadium – especially with four competitive games behind them already.
More sobering still is the fact that Cork failed to score from play over the piece, a mark from full forward Olan O’Donovan the nearest they came. That’s never good.
It’s not that Kerry were all-singing and dancing themselves – it was difficult to differentiate the sides in the opening stages, but once the hosts got a grip, Cork looked bereft of confidence and ideas. Kerry, by contrast, played some decent stuff in the second period.
Stirring a pair of tentative sides in with an unnecessarily fussy referee, perhaps no one should have expected the ingredients to come to the boil early doors. It took 17 minutes to conjure a score from play – and the important first goal five minutes later was the result of an ill-advised cross-field Cork pass intercepted by a green and gold swarm.
Artistic merit came, in the main, from Kerry attackers Cormac Dillon and Paddy Lane, who combined for an impressive 1-13 between them. Appropriate then that they should combine to punish that costly Cork turnover in the 22nd minute – Lane handing his captain the easy finish. Within 30 seconds Lane was adding his second point to open up a 1-6 to 0-3 lead, which they took into the break.
Given Cork were level at 0-3 each after an opening quarter when they looked poised and lively at the top end of the pitch, it was a piercing blow to their self-confidence. And it showed as the half wore on – not least because Kerry were the ones playing into the elements.
The hosts came into the game destabilised by the loss of a quartet of their key performers. Regular full back Colin Browne, midfielder Evan Boyle, centre forward Odhran Ferris and full forward Ian O’Sullivan were all absent via illness or injury. Hence manager James Costello – who has seen his charges lose by a single point in their final game in each of the last three seasons – will be pleased how his side grew into the challenge and made light work of Cork. Dillon and Lane look a pair of gems in the making.
Michael O’Brien, the Cork manager, has a more demanding week ahead as he bids to lift his squad for the trip to Thurles.
Centre forward Brian Hayes looked polished in possession and the full forward line has a bit about it in possession, but after a steady first quarter in Tralee it went rapidly downhill.
Scorers for Kerry: C Dillon (1-9, 7 frees), P Lane (0-4), J Clifford, J Burke, D Allman (0-1 each)
Scorers for Cork: B Hayes (0-3, frees), O’ O’Donovan (0-2, 1 free, I mark).
KERRY: S O’Meara (Dr Crokes); M Lynch (Dr Crokes), J Foley (Kerins O’Rahilly’s), R Burke (Desmonds); L Evans (Keel), D O’Connor (Kenmare), F Murphy (Rathmore); E Healy (Listowel Emmets), J O’Sullivan (Brosna); D O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), C Dillon (Duagh), N Collins (Ballymacelligott); P Lane (Austin Stacks), J Clifford (St Michael’s, Foilmore), J Fitzgerald (Lispole).
Subs: J Burke (Laune Rangers) for Fitzgerald (half time); T Ashe (Annascaul) for Burke (46); P Moynihan (Rathmore) for J O’Sullivan (50); D Allman (Kenmare) for Lane (53); J Coffey (Beaufort) for Collins (58);
CORK: J Woods (Valley Rovers); G Daly (Mallow), C Molloy (Nemo Rangers), T O’Brien (Nemo Rangers); S O’Connell (Castlehaven), J Burke (Douglas), A Cullinane (Clonakilty); C Gillespie (Aghabullogue), A O’Connell (Kilshannig); D Gough (Clonakilty), B Hayes (Nemo Rangers), A O’Sullivan (Aghabullogue); G Kearney (Kinsale), O O’Donovan (Ibane Gaels), M Kelleher (Mallow).
Subs: D O’Donovan (Bishopstown) for A O’Sulllivan (half time); E Myers (Naomh Aban) for Gough (40); C Fitzpatrick (Kinsale) for Molloy (44); N O’Leary (Douglas) for O’Brien (45); M O’Sullivan (Bantry) for Gillespie (50)
Referee: J Hayes (Limerick)
Ticket Information
Tickets for this game must be purchased in advance via participating Centra and Supervalu outlets or via Ticketmaster.
General Admission – €10
Under 16s Free
Live Streaming
This game will be streamed live by Sport TG4.
Team News
Best of luck to our Minors who play Cork in the Semi-Final of the #ElectricIreland Munster Minor Championship tomorrow at 7pm in Austin Stack Park.
Purchase your match tickets here: https://t.co/aTSSShX2GC
Full team details here: https://t.co/zEhisccIAQ pic.twitter.com/9gcZchcAYR
— Kerry GAA (@Kerry_Official) May 11, 2022
The Cork Minor Football Team to play Kerry in the Munster Minor Football Semi Final has been announced https://t.co/3KMBwwpC65#SportsDirectIreland #BorntoPlay pic.twitter.com/vAPPJgputA
— Cork GAA (@OfficialCorkGAA) May 11, 2022
