Munster MFC Final ReplayKerry 0-13 Cork 1-7 Kerry minors swept to their fourth consecutive Munster title and their 38th in all following a well-deserved victory in an entertaining replay at Páirc Uí Chaoimh last evening. It was Kerry's 12th success in 14 seasons.
The game finished in a welter of excitement as David Goulding expertly converted a penalty low to the corner to cut Kerry's lead to two points, 0-12 to 1-7. Cork, with the strong wind, were right back in contention, but the best score of the game quickly followed.
Brian Moran, son of the former great Ogie, somehow summoned up the strength to kick a 50-metre free from the left over the bar for a glorious point. Kerry weathered late pressure to retain their title.
Kerry dominated the first half and were full value for their 0-8 to 0-3 interval lead as Cork struggled in attack. They were unable to score from play with Goulding's free-taking accounting for all their scores.
Kerry's third point came from an unusual incident. Cork goalkeeper Ken O'Halloran was penalised for placing the ball for a kick-out on a divot and referee Brian Tyrell threw up the ball instead. It broke kindly for Shane Murphy to score from close range and stretch the Kingdom's lead to 0-3 to 0-1 .
The same player went closest to a goal after a quarter of an hour. Poor play in the Cork rearguard sent Murphy clear only for Kevin Harrington to block his goal-bound shot at the expense of a '45. Kerry finished the half strongly with four points without reply as Evans and Moran once more tormented the home side.
The trend continued on the resumption as Kerry's forwards ran the Cork defence ragged. Rory Keating scored a superb point following a determined run to open up a six-point advantage after Denis Crowley missed a glorious goal-scoring opportunity for Cork moments before.
A Goulding free and a Colm Callanan effort from play made it 0-11 to 0-7 with 11 minutes to go, when Cork again coughed up a glorious chance. Goulding let fly from 14 metres only for goalkeeper Brendan Kelly to deny him with a superb save.
Kelly was eventually beaten by Goulding's left-footed penalty, but Cork couldn't score again, leaving them to rue squandering a four-point lead with seven minutes left in Sunday's drawn game.
CORK: K O'Halloran; S O'Donoghue, N Horgan, K Harrington; M Shields, E Cadogan, S Keohane; A O'Sullivan (capt), F Lynch; D Crowley, D Goulding (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-4 frees), C Keane; C Callanan (0-1), F Gould, J Halbert. Subs: G Ó Sé (0-1) for Lynch (29 mins), K Canty for Halbert and Kevin O'Halloran for Keohane (half-time), P Kerrigan for Keane (54 mins)
KERRY: B Kelly; P Reidy, L Quinn, K Young; D Doyle, C Kelleher, D O'Connor; B Moran (0-4, three frees), R Keating (0-2); M Evans (0-2, one free), A Kennelly, M O'Donoghue; S Murphy (0-1), D O'Sullivan, J Buckley (0-4, frees). Subs: B Dennehy for Evans (46 mins), K O'Leary for O'Donoghue (56 mins), D Culloty for O'Connor (57 mins)
Referee: B Tyrell (Tipperary)
