Gaelic Games

Kerry minors make it four Munster football titles in a row

Kingdom beat vibrant Cork by six points thanks to brilliance of 16-year-old David Clifford

Sean O’Shea celebrates at the final whistle as Kerry beat Cork in the Munster Minor Football final at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Sean O’Shea celebrates at the final whistle as Kerry beat Cork in the Munster Minor Football final at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Sun Jul 03 2016 - 18:22

Kerry completed four Munster Minor Football titles in a row with a deserved six-point win over a vibrant Cork side in the curtain-raiser at the Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney.

Kerry finished strongly thanks to the brilliance of 16-year-old David Clifford who enthralled the crowd with a magical performance, scoring 1-5 and also setting up the Kingdom's other two goals.

Kerry made a whirlwind start, with Mike Breen and Mark Ryan on top form at midfield, and Cork were lucky to trail only 2-3 to 0-2 after 11 minutes as the Kerry attack shredded the Cork defence at will.

Cork then settled, and with the Kerry defence showing traits of indiscipline, Damien Gore kept Cork in touch with four frees and then Mark Buckley scored a super goal.

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Brian Friel, Clifford and Moynihan ensured Kerry led 2-7 to 1-6 at the interval but Colm O’Callaghan with a goal and a point levelled the contest by the 33rd minute, only for Clifford with two points to push Kerry two clear again.

Buckley then fired home Cork’s third goal in the 47th minute but from the kick-out Clifford rounded his marker to score a spectacular goal, and Kerry were two in front and finished the stronger, extending their lead to six, Clifford’s injury-time long-range point drawing gasps from the crowd.

KERRY: B Courtney; M Reidy, N Collins, G O'Sullivan; M Potts, D O'Brien, M Foley (0-2); M Breen, M Ryan; D Moynihan (0-2), S O'Shea (1-4, '45, 0-2 frees), D O'Connor; D Clifford (1-5, 0-2f), B Sweeney (1-0), B Friel (0-1).

Subs: D Naughton for M Reidy (h/t), C Linnane for B Sweeney (41), D Shaw for B Friel (44), C Teahan for M Ryan (56), S Okunbar for M Foley (60), F O'Brien for D O'Connor (60) .

CORK: M White; A McCarthy, A Browne, L O'Donovan; T Corkery, N Walsh, R O'Driscoll; J Ryan, S Ryan; S O'Sullivan, C O'Callaghan (1-0), C Maguire (0-2); D Gore (0-4), M Buckley,(2-2) K O'Donovan.

Subs: C Foley for J Ryan (h/t), S O'Driscoll for S O'Sullivan (48), G O'Donoghue for S Ryan (52), S Minihane for L O'Donovan (56), C O'Mahony for T Corkery (58).