KERRY has been involved in five replays with Cork since 2002 and before that you would have to go back to 1987, when Billy Morgan and Co. effectively brought an end to the ‘Golden Years’ generation of Kerry football.
Despite Kerry’s perceived good record in replays, since the turn of the century Cork have more often had the upper hand when both sides have had to go again.
Continued below…
Four of the replays were played out in the Munster championship, with the 2008 encounter in the All-Ireland semi-final the only one outside the province.
All of the drawn matches in Munster were in Killarney and only once did Kerry win the replay down in Páirc Uí Chaoimh, that came in 2010, when Marc Ó Sé scored a memorable last gasp point to drag Kerry to extra-time.
2002, Munster SFC semi-final
Kerry 0-8 Cork 0-8, Fitzgerald Stadium
Cork 0-15 Kerry 1-9, Páirc Uí Chaoimh
The drawn match was played after Ireland were knocked out to Spain on penalties in the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
If that wasn’t bad enough fans had to trek to Fitzgerald Stadium in torrential rain that didn’t let up all afternoon. The 0-8 apiece scoreline is a reflection of a match which is arguably the worst ever between the pair.
Tragedy struck in the week leading up to the replay, when Darragh, Tomás and Marc Ó Sé’s father, Michael, passed away suddenly. The three sons somehow managed to still run out for Kerry.
Later in the year, Kerry would go on to beat Cork resoundingly in the All-Ireland semi final by 3-19 to 2-7. The game was the beginning of Kerry’s five match unbeaten run of Cork in Croke Park.
2006, Munster SFC Final
Kerry 0-10 Cork 0-10, Fitzgerald Stadium
Cork 1-12 – Kerry 0-9, Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Jack O’Connor had guided Kerry to All-Ireland title in his first year in charge in 2004 and reached the the final year after, but Kerry followers can be an impatient bunch.
After a six point defeat in the replay, he left to a chorus of boos from sections of the Kerry support who made the trip down to Pairc Ui Chaoimh on a sweltering afternoon.
The Dromid man’s job was on the line, but he sprung an ace from his sleeve in the shape of Kieran Donaghy for Kerry’s next opponents, Longford in the qualifier.
The rest, including a victory over Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final on the way to lifting Sam, is history.
2008, All-Ireland SFC semi-final
Kerry 1-13 Cork 1-13, Croke Park
Kerry 3-14 Cork 2-13, Croke Park
This would be the third year in a row Kerry would play Cork in Croke Park. The previous year, Kerry claimed the first back to back All-Ireland’s since their rebel neighbours achieved the feat in 89/90.
Of all the games in Croker so far between Kerry and Cork these were the two most enthralling.
In both games, Kerry held healthy leads only to let them slip, to a Cork side who had been hurt by losses in years passed, particularly the All-Ireland final of 2007 which Kerry won at a canter.
In the replay, Cork pegged back a nine point lead to draw level with only minutes left on the clock.
With the next Kerry attack, Darren O’Sullivan, took off with a burst of pace and laid the ball off to the Gooch who slotted the ball in the net and pulled Kerry out of danger.
It was a year of squandered leads, Kerry were eventually caught by Tyrone in the final, killing a three-in-a-row dream.
Kerry 0-13 Cork 0-13, Fitzgerald Stadium
Cork 1-17 Kerry 0-12, Páirc Uí Chaoimh
These were two very poor days at the office for Kerry, only for a last minute point by Bryan Sheehan, Kerry would have been spared the trip to Páirc for the replay.
In the next game, Kerry were extremely lacklustre and looked every bit a team on its last legs and on the way to being out of the shake up for All-Ireland honours.
Kerry would be crowd kings again come September tough, beating, who else but Cork in the final.
2010, Munster SFC semi-final
Kerry 0-15 Cork 0-15, Fitzgearld Stadium
Kerry 1-15 Cork 1-14, Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Finally, Kerry would win a replay against Cork in the Munster championship for the first time in 34 years!
Not since the epic battle of 1976 when Páirc Uí Chaoimh first opened its gates had a Kerry team beaten Cork in a replay.
One of the great Kerry v Cork moment would come in the replay when Marc Ó Sé scored an inspirational equalizing point to force the match into extra time.
However the game is most remembered for the infamous, Paul Galvin, ‘fish-hook’ on Cork’s Eoin Cadogan, which dominated the back pages of the national press.
The whole incident and the fallout from it seemed to upset the Kerry team and they were shockingly dumped out in the quarter-final by Down.
2010 would be the first year a Kerry team would not take part in an All-Ireland semi-final in 11 years.