Munster SFC Semi-Final

Kerry 3-21 (3-1-19) Cork 1-25 (1-6-13)

(after extra-time)

By Paul Brennan at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh

A much needed shot in the arm for the Munster football championship as Kerry needed a wonderstrike goal from Joe O’Connor deep into extra-time to see the Kingdom home by two points and several more palpitations.

Against all expectations, the Rebels mounted an Easter rising that Kerry manager Jack O’Connor had forewarned about, and Cork will be sick that they couldn’t get over the winning line against Kerry for the first time since 2020.

In the end it took O’Connor’s goal in the 86th minute to get the champions off the ropes, with no one in the 14,358 crowd in SuperValu Pairc Uí Chaoimh leaving early from one of the best Munster championship contests probably since that 2020 Cork ambush when no one was in the Pairc to see it.

Kerry needed just 20 seconds to score their first point through Ruairi Murphy, but Cork were back on terms within four minutes through Mark Cronin.

David Clifford and Chris Óg Jones traded points, but then Kerry put together five unanswered points as the reigning champions threatened to run away with it.

O’Driscoll’s two-pointer momentarily pulled Cork back into the contest, but two more David Clifford points, either side of one from Paul Geaney, had Kerry in a 0-10 to 0-4 lead after 21 minutes.

Kerry lost goalkeeper Shane Ryan to injury after a goalmouth clash with Brian Hurley, but Kerry kicked on with another Paul Geaney score to open up a seven-point lead.

Ian Maguire and O’Driscoll knocked over a point apiece, and then O’Driscoll scored his second two-pointer to cut the gap to three. Mark Cronin converted a ‘45’ to leave it 0-11 to 0-9 at half time.

Hurley’s two-point free early in the second half levelled the score, but scores from Sean O’Shea, the Geaneys, the Cliffords and Barry Dan O’Sullivan pushed Kerry into a 0-17 to 0-12 lead.

Hurley pointed for Cork, but Kerry struck for a goal, with Paul Geaney netting beyond Micheal Aodh Martin to put the Kingdom seven clear.

Paudie Clifford was red carded for a clumsily high tackle on Matty Taylor, Cathail O’Mahony and Sean McDonnell converted two-pointers and Chris Óg Jones raided a 61st minute goal.

Two minutes later Ruairi Deane kicked Cork into the lead for the first time, but it was short-lived – Sean O’Shea scoring Kerry’s second goal to make it 2-17 to 1-18. Back came Cork with Cronin (free) and Eoghan McSweeney scoring to send the game to extra-time.

David Clifford scored a free and a two-pointer for Kerry to take a 2-20 to 1-21 lead into the changeover, with Cork reduced to 14 men after Sean Brady was red carded.

Points from Jones and a two-pointer from McSweeney put Cork in fron, 1-24 to 2-20, and then Killian Spillane and Conor Cahalane traded points.

Penalties were looking a distinct possibility and few outside the whitewash would have complained, but then O’Connor struck arguably the sweetest shot of the game to beat Martin for the third time and sealed the win for Kerry, and set them up for a Munster final against Clare in Killarney in a fortnight.

Too much to hope for as much drama again? Probably.

Scorers for Kerry: D Clifford 0-9 (2p, 1f), P Geaney 1-3, S O’Shea 1-1, J O’Connor 1-1, P Clifford 0-2, D Geaney 0-2, R Murphy 0-1, B D O’Sullivan 0-1, K Spillane 0-1

Scorers for Cork: B O’Driscoll 0-5 (2 2p), C Og Jones 1-3, S McDonnell 0-3 (2p), B Hurley 0-3 (2pf), M Cronin 0-3 (1f, 1 ’45’), E McSweeney 0-3 (2p), C O’Mahony 0-2 (2p), I Maguire 0-1, R Deane 0-1, C Cahalane 0-1

Kerry: Shane Ryan; Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Gavin White, Tadhg Morley; Joe O’Connor, Barry Dan O’Sullivan; Ruairí Murphy, Paudie Clifford, Graham O’Sullivan, David Clifford, Paul Geaney, Dylan Geaney.

Subs: Sean O’Brien for B D O’Sullivan (temp, 13-14), Armin Heinrich for G White (temp, 14-22), Shane Murphy for S Ryan (inj, 24), Sean O’Sheaa for R Murphy (ht), Damien Bourke for P Murphy (ht), Tony Brosnan for P Geaney (60), Sean O’Brien for B D O’Sullivan (65), Killian Spillane for D Geaney (et), Micheal Burns for G O’Sullivan (et, 77), A Heinrich for B O Beaglaoich (et, 81)

Cork: Micheál Aodh Martin, Seán Brady, Daniel O’Mahony, Tommy Walsh, Brian O’Driscoll, Rory Maguire, Matty Taylor, Ian Maguire, Colm O’Callaghan, Paul Walsh, Seán Powter, Seán McDonnell, Mark Cronin, Brian Hurley, Chris Óg Jones.

Subs: Maurice Shanley for T Walsh (14), Ruairi Deane for S Powter (47), Eoghan McSweeney for P Walsh (52), Cathail O’Mahony for B Hurley (59), Neil Lorden for M Shanley (65), Sean Walsh for I Maguire (et, 77), Conor Cahalane for S McDonnell (77), Hugh O’Connor for M Cronin (et, ht), Darragh Cashman for R Deane (temp, 83-ft)

Referee: Barry Tiernan (Dublin)