Munster Junior Football Championship Semi Final – Kerry 1-12 Cork 0-9

MacGearailt fires Kingdom win

Kerry 1-12 Cork 0-9

By Fintan O’Toole for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Monday, June 07, 2010

FORMER senior star Aodhán MacGearailt netted the crucial second-half goal that enabled Kerry to defeat 2009 All-Ireland champions Cork in yesterday’s Munster JFC semi-final at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. As Kerry led 0-11 to 0-6, MacGearailt calmly converted with a low shot in the 50th minute after a surging run by midfielder Gary O’Driscoll. The first half was a tightly contested affair. Eamonn Hickson and Eoin O’Neill drove Kerry on from the half-backs, while the twin threat of Michael O’Donoghue and Aodán MacGearailt showed up well down the centre of their attack. MacGearailt’s freetaking was spot on as he converted an early brace, O’Donoghue registered a beauty from play and Hickson stole forward for another point from play.

By the 17th minute Kerry were deservedly 0-4 to 0-2 in front with only Andy Concannon’s freetaking keeping Cork in the hunt. However Cork rallied before the Firstly in the 19th minute Mark Harrington blazed over after being well-placed by David Goold and then in the 26th minute Conor Brosnan fired over the bar after Harrington’s initial effort was blocked. A terrific point by O’Donoghue edged Kerry 0-5 to 0-4 ahead but Harrington tied matters at the interval.

In the second half Kerry held Cork scoreless for a 19-minute period as Hickson grabbed his second point of the game, Gary Sayers swung over a free, O’Driscoll lobbed over a point, Alan O’Sullivan shot over another and when John Buckley split the posts in the 48th minute, Kerry led 0-10 to 0-5. The MacGearailt strike stretched their advantage and although Cork responded with two Goold frees and a score by Stephen Keohane, Sayers rounded the action off with a closing score for Kerry.

Scorers for Kerry: A MacGearailt 1-2 (0-2f), M O’Donoghue 0-3, G Sayers (0-1f), E Hickson 0-2, G O’Driscoll, A O’Sullivan, J Buckley 0-1. Scorers Cork: A Concannon (0-2f), D Goold (0-2f), M Harrington 0-2, C Brosnan, M Kelleher, S Keohane 0-1.

KERRY: S Óg Ciardubháin; G O’Connor, F Griffin, A Cahill; E Hickson, A Greaney, E O’Neill; G O’Driscoll, D Murphy; B Poff, M O’Donoghue, A O’Sullivan; G Sayers, A MacGearailt, J Buckley. Subs: M Murphy for Poff (46), T McGoldrick for Buckley (50), M Coakley for D Murphy (53), D Doyle for Cahill (60).

CORK: S Murphy; D O’Riordan, D Lynch, K Harrington; S Kelleher, C O’Connell, B Daly; M Kelleher, O Mulrooney; A Concannon, M Harrington, F O’Shea; J O’Connell, D Goold, C Brosnan. Subs: E Manning for Concannon (38), S Keohane for Kelleher (45), T Clancy for Mulrooney (47), B Coughlan for O’Shea (54), L Shorten for Brosnan (54).

Referee: Michael McGann (Clare)

Team News

The Kerry Junior Football Team to play Cork on Sunday 7th June is as follows

1. Seán Óg Ó Ciardubháin – Cordal-

2 Gavin O’Connor – Castlegregory

3 Fergal Griffin – Glenbeigh/Glencar-

4 Aidan Cahill – Spa-

5 Eamon Hickson –Annascaul-

6 Adrian Greaney – St. Pats-

7 Eoin O’Neill – Renard-

8 Gary O’Driscoll – Skellig Rangers-

9 Don Murphy – Gneeveguilla-

10 Michael Murphy – Gneeveguilla-

11 Michael O’Donoghue – Spa-(Captain)

12 Alan O’Sullivan –Tuosist-

13 Gary Sayers – Keel-

14 Aodán MacGearailt – An Ghaeltacht-

15 John Buckley – Currow –

Subs

Paul O’Sullivan – Churchill-

Mike Coakley – Scartaglin –

Brendan Poff – St. Pats –

Tom McGoldrick – Brosna –

Daniel Doyle – Churchill-

Francis Courtney – Beaufort –

John Paul Brosna –Gneeveguilla-

Brian McGuire – Listowel-

Brian Gleeson –Spa-

Bainisteóir: Kerry O’Sullivan Currow; Roghnóirí : Pat Brosnan(Brosna) & Tim Dennehy (Castlegregory)