Early goal blitz puts Kingdom on their way to Munster glory

Kerry ripped Cork’s defence to shreds with 2-1 inside the opening four minutes. Kerry’s first goal arrived straight from the throw-in. Jack Clifford connected with Cian McMahon’s darting run and he slipped the ball inside the near post.

After an Aaron O’Shea point, McMahon turned provider. Midfielder Cillian Burke had a case for a penalty when knocked to the ground but he didn’t need it, booting to the net while lying on the turf.

Cork had goal chances either side of that second goal, but failed to convert. Kerry maintained that seven-point gap to the halfway mark. Paddy O’Driscoll opened Cork’s account after four minutes but it was their only score from play all half, their other three points from Hugh O’Connor frees.

Radar

Shine’s radar was in, slotting four Kerry points (two frees). By the interval Kerry’s shooting efficiency had them 2-5 to 0-4 clear. Kerry, who now face Connacht champions Sligo, had the luxury of soaking up Cork pressure and countering thereafter. Shine, Keith Evans, Luke Crowley (0-2 each), and Joey Nagle kept them ticking over.

Niall Kelly had scored 1-1 off the bench the last day and he came on to contribute 0-2 to Cork’s fading cause.

There were some late chances to reignite the Rebels. O’Connor had the ’keeper beaten but Andrew Moynihan got back to block on the line. Liam O’Connell intercepted a short free but Kieran Mackessy made the save. And then, Eoghan Nash sent a piledriver crashing just wide.

Their breakthrough came much too late, Ross Corkery’s free was saved initially by Mackessy, but rebounded to the net by super-sub Kelly.

SCORERS

Kerry: W Shine 0-6 (2f); C Burke, C McMahon 1-0 each; K Evans, L Crowley 0-2 each; J Nagle, A O’Shea 0-1 each.

Cork: N Kelly 1-2; H O’Connor 0-3 (3f); P O’Driscoll 0-1.

TEAMS

KERRY – K Mackessy; J Nagle, A Moynihan, C O’Donoghue; K O’Sullivan, A Heinrich, P O’Leary; K Burke, C O’Connell; J Clifford, T O’Donnell, K Evans; C McMahon, W Shine, A O’Shea.

Subs: L Crowley for O’Shea (41), D O’Callaghan for O’Donoghue (48), C Lynch for O’Sullivan (54), C Foley for O’Donnell (56), R Stack for Clifford (59).

CORK – C Dungan; D Murray, J O’Driscoll, D Twomey; R O’Sullivan, T Walsh, T O’Mahony; L O’Connell, S Dore; S Brady, H O’Connor, P O’Driscoll; P O’Rourke, O Corcoran, T Cunningham.

Subs: E Nash for Dore (25 inj), N Kelly for O’Driscoll (h-t), R Corkery for O’Rourke (40), M Quirke for O’Mahony (47), E de Búrca for Cunningham (51).

Ref – J Hayes (Limerick).