Kerry 1-13
Cork 1-9
Denis Hurley reports from Mallow
A GOOD KERRY start meant that they never looked like being overhauled in qualifying for the McGrath Cup final at Mallow on Sunday afternoon, with victory over Cork setting up a meeting with Kerry.
With both of these counties having beaten Tipperary, this was winner-takes-all, but a sparkling performance from the Kingdom’s full-forward Jack Savage underpinned a superior display from them.
While Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s side didn’t score in the final 12 minutes, their last point, from Barry John Keane, put them 1-13 to 0-8 in front.
Though Cork’s main scoring threat Niall Coakley would get a goal with ten minutes left – allied to five points – wastefulness in front of goal continued to be the Rebels’ undoing, as they finished with 13 wides.
The opening 15 minutes brought six unanswered Kerry points, Savage with four of them. Tadhg Morley and Jack Barry impressed at midfield for the visitors while early sub Brendan O’Sullivan also showed up well.
Though Coakley and Brian O’Driscoll got Cork off the mark, Kerry responded with a James O’Donoghue goal from a penalty after Ken O’Halloran had hauled Barry down.
Coakley did have a couple of Cork points in reply, but O’Donoghue’s third point left Kerry 1-8 to 0-5 ahead at half-time.
There was never much of an indication that the 1,505 crowd would see a comeback, though Cork did have a chance of engineering one when Kerry’s Brian Ó Beaglaioch’s foot-block on Mark Collins resulted in a penalty.
Coakley sent his shot wide and, while he did goal after that, Kerry weren’t to be denied.
Scorers for Kerry: Jack Savage 0-6 (0-1 free), James O’Donoghue 1-3 (1-0 penalty, 0-1 free), Barry John Keane 0-2 (0-1 free), Tom O’Sullivan, Brendan O’Sullivan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cork: Niall Coakley 1-5 (0-3 frees), Gary Murphy 0-3, Brian O’Driscoll 0-1.
Kerry
1. Brian Kelly (Legion)
2. Jason Foley (Ballydonoghue)
3. Mark Griffin (St Michael’s/Foilmore)
4. Killian Young (Renard)
5. Brian Ó Beaglaioch (An Ghaeltacht)
6. Peter Crowley (Laune Rangers)
7. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle)
20. Jack Barry (Na Gaeil)
9. Tadhg Morley (Templenoe)
10. Jonathan Lyne (Legion)
11. Michael Geaney (Dingle)
12. Donnchadh Walsh (Cromane)
13. Barry John Keane (Kerins O’Rahillys)
14. Jack Savage (Kerins O’Rahillys)
15. James O’Donoghue (Legion)
Subs
17. Brendan O’Sullivan (Valentia) for Walsh (14, injured)
18. Gavin Crowley (Templenoe) for Ó Beaglaioch (44)
21. Ronan Shanahan (Austin Stacks) for Foley (51)
23. Conor Geaney (Dingle) for O’Donoghue (61)
22. Adrian Spillane (Templenoe) for Tom O’Sullivan (62)
24. Denis Daly (St Mary’s) for Michael Geaney (69)
Cork
1. Ken O’Halloran (Bishopstown)
23. James Loughrey (Mallow)
17. Kieran Histon (Cobh)
4. John McLoughlin (Kanturk)
5. Stephen Cronin (Nemo Rangers)
6. Conor Dorman (Bishopstown)
7. Matthew Taylor (Mallow)
8. Ian Maguire (St Finbarr’s)
9. Ruairí Deane (Bantry Blues)
10. Seán Powter (Douglas)
12. Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh)
11. Mark Collins (Castlehaven)
13. Niall Coakley (St Jude’s)
14. Peter Kelleher (Kilmichael)
15. Kevin Davis (O’Donovan Rossa)
Subs
21. Alan O’Donovan (Nemo Rangers) for Histon (21, injured)
24. Gary Murphy (Castletownbere) for Powter (half-time)
20. Ronan O’Toole (Éire Óg) for Maguire (49)
25. Eoin Lavers (Dohenys) for Loughrey (62)
18. Don O’Driscoll (Clann nan Gael) for Davis (60)
Referee: Derek O’Mahony (Tipperary)
******************
Elsewhere Limerick got the job done with a 0-9 to 0-6 success over Waterford at Lemybrien to ensure that they finished top of Group 2.
It was a low scoring affair with the teams tied at 0-3 apiece at the interval but Limerick upped the ante in the second half.
They were inspired by Danny Neville as he struck 0-5 after the break to push Limerick into the ascendancy and new manager Billy Lee saw his charges hold on to triumph.
The win followed up on Limerick’s success over Clare on Wednesday night and sees them top the group.
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Slippy G knowns how to win a league. Oh wait
Get in, love it. Making a contest of it Rangers, Stevie making a cracking start to management.
@Marty Morrisey: Rangers are rank rotten ,Terrible side ,Celtic will pump them next week.
@Midland Celt: And yet they lie 1 point off the Pumpers.
@Marty Morrisey: BTW With a game in Hand ,
@Midland Celt: like literally pump them?
@Marty Morrisey: you are a sad sad troll .
@Niall James Fergal McCormack: Cheers for the glorious input shorty.
@Marty Morrisey: thanks you sad man . Not sure what the shorty comment is about but f**k me I hope you are under 18 because if not it makes the way you act on the 42 even sadder . Grow up !
@Niall James Fergal McCormack: Glorious input cheers shortie.
@Marty Morrisey: you had the spelling of ‘shorty’ correct the first time. Trolling with illiteracy, Marty, is only a step above fingering a badger.
@Ian Michael O’Carroll: 1 in the stink 2 in the pink like ?
@Ian Michael O’Carroll: fingering a badger. Lol.
Steven Gerard’s Rangers were awful from start to finish. A team completely devoid of ideas. It was great to watch them toil. Morelos gets into great positions and pulled them out of a hole.
I’d imagine Celtic can’t wait for the game on the 29th.
@Ciaran Rice: 3 points all the same.
@Mark Glynn: of course but that doesn’t mask how poor Steven Gerard’s Rangers are.
@Ciaran Rice: To be fair though, they are a growing side..have had to start all over again and are making progress
@Mark Glynn: eh, the side has been getting worse every week. They are now making very few chances and scoring hardly any goals. There also have around the same points total after this round of games as they did last season.
@Ciaran Rice: If celtic win their game in hand it puts 4 points between the teams. A couple weeks back you were giving out that the Premiership has no competition when City were 3 points clear haha
@Turkish: I said the SPFL is more competitive than the EPL this season (and last season), which it is. Celtic are a point ahead. There have been 5 changes for first place in December alone. There are currently only 11 points separating 1st to 8th and 6 different sides have led the league so far this season.
Liverpool have played almost an entire round of games and are still unbeaten. Not much competition there.
@Ciaran Rice: so there not making progress, from having to start in bottom division with a new crop of players-now there in the premiership..
@Mark Glynn: if you think finishing 3rd every season, spending more than any other side whilst winning nothing is progressing then that’s up to you.
@Ciaran Rice: How much more than Celtic did they spend this season?
@Ciaran Rice: what do you mean winning nothing. Rangers secured promotion back to the Premiership having won three promotions in four years.
@The Bloody Nine: think they spent 2-3 million more than Celtic. That is going on the reported £9 million Celtic spent on Edouard, which I don’t believe is the case. The Rangers also spent more than Celtic last summer also.
@Mark Glynn: back to the premiership? They had never been there in the first place.
@Ciaran Rice: you sure mate, pretty sure it’s called the Scottish Premiership. Do your research.
Who is this Rangers you speak of? Are they anything to Steven Gerrards Rangers??
Doing well on a shoe string budget hopefully rangers pull of a shock with this squad and win it
@Colgate: oh god he’s got yet another account
@Colgate: spent most in the league . Your trolling is poor and creating new accounts so often is pathetic . Grow up !
@Niall James Fergal McCormack: 2 people on this article, just article alone you have attacked. Glorious input as per shorty.
@Marty Morrisey: 2 people? You mean you and you!! You are as bad as Andy Gorum!!!
@Marty Morrisey: what a sad sad person.. people like u that sit in there room all day and have 1 friend that’s your 8 year old sister!!
@Jay Murphy: I have 6 sister’s all older than me. Hugs n X’s JJ
@Marty Morrisey: haha shortie . I like the way that’s sticking for you because it makes no sense . Are you trolling yourself ? I’ve no idea what you are talking about but you are a very sad man .