CORK FOOTBALL FANS may be accustomed to summertime trips to Killarney but they haven’t found the visits to Fitzgerald Stadium to be rewarding experiences of late.
You have to go back 18 years for their last senior championship victory at the venue when Niall Cahalane captained them to win provincial honours as they overcame the concession of an early Eamonn Breen goal.
1995 – Cork 0-15 Kerry 1-9
YouTube: Bryansford Gael
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But since then it’s been a series of disappointments for Cork sides.
They have drawn on four occasions against Kerry in Munster championship clashes and lost out on five occasions.
Here’s a look back at how they have fallen short.
1998 – Kerry 1-14 Cork 1-11
Larry Tompkins double-jobbed on this occasion as he lined out in attack while also managing the Cork footballers.
But it was the opposing attacking star who had the biggest say in proceedings with Maurice Fitzgerald grabbing a crucial goal for the Kingdom.
2000 – Kerry 2-15 Cork 1-13
Kerry’s Dara O’Cinneide proved the difference in this encounter as he clinically buried a pair of penalties past Kevin O’Dwyer in the Cork goal. Colin Corkery lead Cork’s second-half fightback but Kerry held on.
2002 – Kerry 0-8 Cork 0-8
A damp squib of an encounter and not just because of the torrential rain in Killarney. The game finished all square and was notably played in a funereal atmosphere in the aftermath of Ireland’s penalty shootout exit from the 2002 World Cup against Spain in Suwon, earlier that day.
Cork made amends in the following week’s replay to triumph by 0-15 to 1-9 in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
2004 – Kerry 0-15 Cork 0-7
The first championship game of Billy Morgan’s second coming as Cork manager ended in a convincing defeat. Kerry lead by four points, 0-7 to 0-3, at the interval and they pulled clear comfortably by the finish.
2006 – Kerry 0-10 Cork 0-10
The teams finished all square in this provincial final on the same day that Italy defeated France to win the 2006 World Cup. James Masters shot 0-7 and Bryan Sheehan struck 0-6 as the teams finished on 0-10 apiece.
The following week Masters hit 1-6 as Cork won out by 1-12 to 0-9 in the replayed encounter.
2007 – Kerry 1-15 Cork 1-13
Donncha O’Connor and Colm Cooper found the net for their respective sides but it was Cooper who was celebrating at the end as Kerry won out by two points. Cork had a late goal chance but Derek Kavanagh was denied by the Kerry rearguard.
2009 – Kerry 0-13 Cork 1-10
Another draw and a game which Cork let slip. They lead by 1-9 to 0-7 at one juncture with Pearse O’Neill firing to the net to provide an early boost but they were hauled back as Bryan Sheehan landed a last-gasp free to force a draw.
Again Cork prevailed on home soil in the replay as they produced a 1-17 to 0-12 win.
2010 – Kerry 0-15 Cork 0-15
A familiar state of party at the final whistle as Colm Cooper swung over a late free to rescue a draw for Kerry. Moments before Cork looked to have garnered the spoils when Colm O’Neill boomed over a brilliant long-range point.
The following week’s replay was an acrimonious affair with Kerry eventually winning out by a point after extra-time.
YouTube: KeitShan
2011 – Kerry 1-15 Cork 1-12
With Declan O’Sullivan in terrific form and Darran O’Sullivan smashing home a fantastic goal, Kerry were in control early on. Cork pushed in the second-half and Donncha O’Connor found the net but defeat was their lot once more as they left Killarney.
YouTube: KilkennyFootball
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