Peter Crowley looks for options. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
Cork 3-17
Kerry 2-9
WELL that didn’t go very well now did it?
Kerry went to Páirc Uí Rinn looking for a third league victory in a row but left Cork without any points after a chastening afternoon in Rebel territory.
Still though, it’s only March and any serious analyst won’t read much into today’s performances (remember last year’s drubbing we received in Tralee and Kerry’s subsequent slaughter of Cork in the Munster final?).
Timmy Walsh blasts the ball into the roof of the net. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
Cork were dominant in all sectors of the field and the winning margin could even have been more emphatic at the end today.
The first half yielded the five goals with the Tralee duo of Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh scoring Kerry’s three-pointers – the second goal was a superb link-up between the two which will hopefully be repeated this summer.
Barry John Keane looked lively too, putting up five points on the scoreboard during the match. Unfortunately though, Cork looked far sharper and they picked off some fine scores to lead 3-7 to 2-6 at half-time.
Continued below…
Tempers fray during the game today. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
The second half was dominated by the ‘blood and bandage’ side with Kerry struggling to keep pace with the Cork men who stifled our attacks and went forward with ingenuity.
Their ten points to Kerry’s three in the second period ensured Cork will have the bragging rights until the summer.
Kerry can look to make amends against Donegal in Tralee next weekend.
Barry John Keane in possession during today’s game. Photo by Gavin O’Connor
Kerry: B Kealy; P Kilkenny, M Griffin, F Fitzgerald, J Lyne, J Sherwood, P Murphy; A Maher, D Moran; M Geaney, B Sheehan, J Buckley, S O’Brien (0-1), K Donaghy (1-0), BJ Keane (0-5).
Subs: K Young for Murphy (black card); P Crowley for Sherwood; T Walsh (1-0) for Sheehan; A Fitzgerald (0-2) for Maher; S Enright for F Fitzgerald; P O’Donoghue for Moran.
Cork: K O’Halloran; J Loughrey, S O’Donoghue, Tom Clancy, Tomás Clancy, M Shields, J O’Sullivan; E Cadogan, F Gould; K O’Driscoll (0-3), J O’Rourke (2-0), C O’Driscoll (0-1), C O’Neill (1-6), M Collins, B Hurley (0-2).
Subs: D O’Connor (0-4) for O’Rourke; C Dorman (0-1) for Tomás Clancy; P Kerrigan for C O’Driscoll; J Hayes for O’Neill; D Goulding for Hurley; N Galvin for Tom Clancy.
