MUNSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL: Cork 0-17 Kerry 0-12:FOR A championship fixture that to the casual observer must appear to take place twice a week, yesterday's Munster football semi-final between Cork and Kerry had a significant feel to it.
It’s three years since Cork beat their neighbours and in the interim they had met on four occasions, so man of the match Donncha O’Connor’s declaration that “the more times you beat Kerry the happier you will be” had a ring of conviction.
Favourites generally don’t do well in the fixture, even though the odds are rarely too radically skewed so it was satisfying for the home side to carry that weight into action and deliver after 70 minutes of fairly prosaic football.
There was an elegiac air to Kerry’s defeat. Two of their totemic figures, Paul Galvin and Kieran Donaghy, were replaced in the second half and the team trailed for all but a few minutes of the match.
It was possible to believe that maybe an era was passing but similar sentiments three years ago after an even more comprehensive defeat for Kerry looked foolish by the time the All-Ireland was presented some weeks later.
Lurking reservations about Cork’s mental resilience when Kerry crank it up meant it would have been damaging for them to squander the winning platform as they had done two years ago.
So the contest was a challenge and the league winners also had to cope with a trading loss at centrefield where Kerry won most of the possession.
In practical terms Cork’s defence did well to shut out their opponents in a first half that saw a few goal chances foiled and their patience in moving the ball around the attack before teasing out an opening was rewarded with some well taken scores, with O’Connor once again showing well with six points, including four from play.
Cork made two changes before the throw-in. Both Fintan Goold and Pearse O’Neill were withdrawn because of injuries just before the start and Ciarán Sheehan and the veteran Nicholas Murphy started. After a few moments at centrefield with Aidan Walsh in the full-forward line, Murphy switched inside and took up duties at full forward.
Having started the sharper looking team, Cork fell into a dip, as Kerry built the more convincing attacks and were hungrier on the breaks around the middle. Good covering and focused support play helped Cork’s defence stand up but there were occasional lapses, which created goal chances that Kerry will rue not converting.
Within a minute Kerry were looking for a penalty after Colm Cooper went down under pressure from Michael Shields but referee David Coldrick correctly decided otherwise. Cork took a 0-3 to 0-1 lead but had to defend.
Sheehan, in his first competitive start since getting injured against Kerry 11 months ago, put in a great block having just boomed a point over minutes previously. Kieran O’Leary was fouled after Graham Canty was caught out by the ball and Cooper equalised.
In the 16th minute Kerry’s first goal chance came. Declan O’Sullivan broke past Canty, opened the defence and passed to Donaghy. He maybe should have taken on the shot but immediately transferred to Cooper whose attempt to squeeze in the goal was blocked by Shields.
The consequent 45 indicated one of the big problems for Kerry. Bryan Sheehan’s absence with injury had deprived them of a place-kicker who only two years ago helped them survive the drawn semi-final in Killarney. In his absence Brendan Kealy tried to emulate Dublin’s shooting goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton but he was wide with two 45s.
The second goal opening came after a penetrative move featuring Peter Crowley, Darran O’Sullivan, Cooper and Donaghy forced a smothering block from Alan Quirke.
Trailing 0-4 to 0-7 at the break, Kerry reconfigured and replacements Johnny Buckley, at centrefield, and James O’Donoghue in attack made an immediate impact, combining within a minute of the restart to cut the margin.
O’Donoghue went on to have an impressive match, kicking two points, providing an assist for Eoin Brosnan’s point and winning a converted free after yet another save was demanded of Quirke, this time by Declan O’Sullivan.
For all the early second-half promise, Kerry were pegged back by Cork who managed to stay in front and restore the three-point lead twice in the third quarter.
Kerry switched their match-ups, putting Marc Ó Sé on to Donncha O’Connor until the Corkman moved to the half forwards but the character of the match didn’t swing. Cork were still able to get the scores necessary to maintain their lead.
Murphy caused problems at full forward, breaking the ball for O’Connor in the 57th minute but instead of a goal attempt he opted for the safety of a fisted point.
With 10 minutes left, the match was poised at two, 0-13 to 0-11, but any Kerry hopes that Cork might develop jitters or the champions contrive a goal came to nothing, as the home intensified the pressure.
Paul Kerrigan played a prominent role in the second half, his runs opening up space and his ability to thread an accurate pass through the defensive cover a threat.
Daniel Goulding made his own reappearance and kicked two points from play to signal his return to the fray. Colm O’Neill might have had an injury-time goal but his shot flew over. He clutched his head in his hands in recognition of the wasted chance but a minute later swung over the final point of the day from a free to leave Cork on course for direct entry to the All-Ireland quarter-finals through next month’s provincial final against Clare.
Kerry are back on the open road, a course they’ve stayed before but the passing of time won’t make it any easier.
CORK: 1 A Quirke; 2 R Carey, 4 E Cadogan, 3 M Shields; 5 P Kissane (0-1), 6 G Canty, 7 N O'Leary; 8 A O'Connor, 9 A Walsh; 21 C Sheehan (0-1), 12 P Kelly, 15 P Kerrigan (0-2); 13 C O'Neill (0-5, three frees), 17 N Murphy, 14 D O'Connor (0-6, two frees). Subs: 23 D Goulding (0-2) for Sheehan (52 mins), 25 B O'Driscoll for Murphy (70 mins), 19 M Collins for Kerrigan (73 mins), 18 E Cotter for Kissane (73 mins). Yellow cards: Shields (49 mins), O'Connor (53 mins).
KERRY: 1 B Kealy; 4 K Young, 3 A O'Mahony, 2 M Ó Sé; 7 P Crowley, 6 Brosnan (0-1), 5 T Ó Sé; 8 A Maher, 9 S Scanlon; 10 P Galvin (0-1), 11 Declan O'Sullivan (0-2), 12 Darran O'Sullivan (0-1); 13 C Cooper (0-5, 0-3 frees), 14 K Donaghy, 15 K O'Leary. Subs: 20 J O'Donoghue (0-2) for O'Leary (half-time), 23 J Buckley for Scanlon (half-time), 17 P Curtin for Donaghy (66 mins), 22 BJ Keane for Galvin (66 mins). Yellow cards: Maher (35 mins), Darran O'Sullivan (63 mins), Crowley (72 mins).
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).
Att: 23,184
‘Today we did show a bit of composure and slowed it down’
For Cork, beating Kerry is its own reward and yesterday before a small Páirc Uí Chaoimh attendance of 23,184 Conor Counihan’s team were rewarded for the first time in three years. Although they ultimately ran out as comfortable winners, the verdict was open until the closing minutes.
As usual when these two sides meet this was a physical contest. Referee David Coldrick appeared to have forgotten his cards for much of the first half and the eventual flashing of yellow at Anthony Maher in first half injury-time loosened him up and he was less inhibited thereafter.
Cork manager Counihan was pleased with his side’s ability to keep their focus throughout to finish strongly.
“On other days we mightn’t have shown the same composure. Today we did show a bit of composure and slowed it down and I think we tried to boss the game a little, which is we haven’t done previously.”
He revealed that Fintan Goold (toe infection) and Pearse O’Neill (groin strain) had been ruled out only before the throw-in and that he was glad to be able to bring players of the quality of Ciarán Sheehan and Nicholas Murphy.
One of the team’s strengths has been its impenetrability and yesterday, alert goalkeeping and resolute defending kept Kerry goalless despite the creation of some good chances.
“Goals are psychologically important for any team and we’ve been fortunate enough that we’ve done well in that regard this year. We’re probably disappointed we’re not getting one or two ourselves but I think it’s important and if you can prevent goals you’re a long way there.”
His counterpart Jack O’Connor had no excuses and was disappointed by his team’s lack of productivity.
“We’ve had some good days against Cork over the past years but they were deserving winners today. Kicking 12 points won’t win you too many games.
“There was a period in the first half when we had some good chances but didn’t nail them. We must have missed at least three goal chances. We managed to create the chances but we needed to take at least one of them.
“That would have given us confidence. Instead, they were able to break away and get scores from the turnovers. That was critical.”
He reacted sharply to suggestions by RTÉ pundit Martin Carney that this had been the day “the music died” for the Kerry team.
“Is he becoming the be-all and end-all? We think there’s a fair bit left in this squad. We have to come back and look at it (not this week – they have championship games) when they come back training. We’ll see. It depends on the attitude fellas come back with.”
Man of the Match Donncha O’Connor said that in Conor Counihan’s regime past performance is no guide to future prospects.
“Conor keeps on to us about the panel we have and if you’re not focused and ready for the next game, no matter who it’s against, there will be other fells who want it more than you.
“You have to turn up to training or matches fully focused or you won’t be long being found out.
"It doesn't matter who you're playing – Dublin, Mayo or Clare, you have to be focused. We have to treat every game the same because it's so hard to hold on to your place. With the players we have on the bench we can take nothing for granted." Seán Moran
