Kerry 0-14
Cork 0-13
KERRY LIFTED THE Munster junior football trophy for the third successive year with a narrow success over Cork in Austin Stack Park in Tralee tonight as they held off a second-half Rebel fightback.
Captain Paul O’Donoghue hit 0-7 to help the Kingdom triumph but Cork cut a five-point deficit that they faced early in the second-half down to the minimum by the final whistle.
Yet they could not force an equaliser and Kerry, who won the All-Ireland title at this level in 2015, held on to advance to a battle with the British champions in the All-Ireland series.
St Mary’s player O’Donoghue, an All-Ireland intermediate club winner back back in February, hit 0-5 in the opening-half as Kerry went in front 0-10 to 0-6 at the interval.
Templenoe’s Adrian Spillane bagged a brace of points for the Kingdom while Millstreet forward Michael Vaughan chipped in with 0-3 for Cork as they stayed in touch.
Kerry GAA / Twitter
Kerry GAA / Twitter / Twitter
O’Donoghue and Sean Michéal Ó Conchúir stretched Kerry’s advantage after the interval to ensure they were ahead 0-12 to 0-7 by the 35th minute.
Cork then enjoyed their best spell with Vaughan and Eoghan Buckley seeing them trail 0-12 to 0-10 entering the final quarter.
Ó Conchúir pushed Kerry three clear but was then denied a goal as Cork goalkeeper Anthony Casey produced a fine save.
Still O’Donoghue converted a ’45 in the 54th minute that left Kerry in front by 0-14 to 0-11 and in the driving seat.
Cork fought on with late points from Buckley and Sugrue cutting the deficit to the minimum but they could find a levelling score.
Subs for Kerry: Paul O’Donoghue 0-7 (0-5f, 0-1 ’45), Sean Michéal Ó Conchúir, Adrian Spillane 0-2 each, Niall O’Shea, Kieran Hurley, Patrick Clifford 0-1 each.
Subs for Cork: Michael Vaughan 0-6 (0-1f), Mark Sugrue (0-1f), Eoghan Buckley 0-3 each, Killian O’Hanlon 0-1.
Kerry
1. Darragh O’Shea (Ballydonoghue)
2. Darren Brosnan (Gneeveguilla)
3. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
4. Cathal Ó Lúing (An Ghaeltacht)
5. Patrick Clifford (Templenoe)
6. Andrew Barry (Na Gaeil)
7. Laurence Bastible (John Mitchels)
8. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe)
9. Michael O’Donnell (Austin Stacks)
10. Brian Ó Seanacháin (Ballydonoghue)
11. Paul O’Donoghue (captain, St Marys)
12. David Foran (St Senans)
13. Sean Michéal Ó Conchúir (An Ghaeltacht)
14. Kieran Hurley (St Pats)
15. Niall O’Shea (Dromid Pearses)
Cork
1. Anthony Casey (Kiskeam)
2. Diarmuid Colfer (Glanworth)
3. Peter Murphy (Bandon)
4. John Mullins (Éire Óg)
5. David O’Neill (Mayfield)
6. Bart Daly (Newmarket)
7. Kieran Histon (Cobh)
8. John Corkery (Boherbue)
9. Cillian Brosnan (Brian Dillons)
10. Michael Vaughan (Millstreet)
11. Killian O’Hanlon (Kilshannig)
12. Ryan Harkin (Mallow)
13. Mark Sugrue (Bandon)
14. Gerry O’Connor (Boherbue)
15. David Harrington (Adrigole)
Referee: David Grogan (Tipperary)
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