Cork 4-8 Kerry 1-9Lights, camera, action, but unfortunately no contest for the much heralded floodlit dawn of this season's Allianz National Football League in Cork's Pairc Uí Rinn on Saturday night.
Nonetheless five goals, an edgy atmosphere and referee Michael Monahan flashing cards like a Reno dealer helped to keep everyone entertained even if the match was over after half an hour.
Kerry manager Páidí Ó Sé made the point that had his side conjured a goal out of something in the second half that they "might have made a game of it".
But their only goal came in the dying minutes by which stage the attention of the by now disappearing crowd had been diverted by a couple of wags in animal costumes parading around the ground, a reference to Ó Sé's remark about Kerry fans. The Kerry manager's January horribilis behind him, he seemed almost relieved to be meeting the media to discuss an eight-point beating by Cork.
"It takes a little bit of getting used to," he said about the floodlights. "As a player I'd prefer to play in daylight. Gaelic football is different to soccer and rugby because the ball is more up in the air." He interrupted this reflection with the air of a man aware of the dangers of being misinterpreted. "That's just my opinion. I'm not using the lights as an excuse."
His counterpart, Larry Tompkins, had good reason to be doubly enthusiastic. The floodlights had proved a big success and his team had played well in an emphatic victory.
"It was encouraging and we played good football. There were some good performances. A lot of players were not available and it was nice to give guys an opportunity just to give them a bit of confidence.
"There was a good atmosphere and I think it's (floodlights) the way forward. It seems to suit people. We wouldn't have got that crowd on a Sunday. People like to come out in the evening and have a few drinks afterwards."
Saturday evening's conditions were nearly perfect and the crowd of 13,421 were only settled when the visitors went to work. This misleading start to the match was compounded by the sight of Derek Kavanagh dropping the ball for Declan Quill to rifle over the bar within 50 seconds.
Just as Kerry were to fade, so Kavanagh's contribution grew. Starting at left-wing forward he played deep and tirelessly shuttled ball out of defence and up the field. His was one of a number of fine performances from Cork.
Top of the bill was Colin Crowley, whose sparing use in last summer's championship surprised some local observers. On Saturday he shot 2-3 from play and looked dangerous with virtually every possession. His first goal triggered Cork's resurgence and his second ensured there'd be no respectability on the scoreboard for the All-Ireland finalists.
Of the established players, Graham Canty was powerful and dominant at centre back - emphasising his potential to develop into a great footballer - and struck for a marvellous, individual goal after a driving run through evaporating Kerry cover. His ballistic hit on Eoin Brosnan in the 23rd minute perked up the home attendance and set the scene for the comeback.
That recovery was necessary as Kerry raced into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead within eight minutes. Their combination play and moves looked terrific but turned out to be illusory once Cork's defence got the measure of their opponents.
There had, however, been ominous early signs for Kerry. Most worrying were the problems in the full-back line. Crowley had already made himself visible, Alan Cronin was his usual industrious self and Fionan Murray was performing a merry dance at full forward.
Of course it wasn't so merry for returning Kerry full back Barry O'Shea but Ó Sé and his selectors will presumably defer judgment until the Kerins O'Rahillys player gets more appearances under his belt. In any event for all of Murray's possession and chances his shooting was poor. The only definite outcome would seem to be that Kerry will make sure someone else marks Murray when the teams next meet.
The Cork forward can also be a disciplinary liability. And in the 52nd minute he responded to a yellow card with a graphic display of dissent, which instantly got him the line.
Between the 27th and 33rd minutes Cork struck for three goals and a point that established a five-point lead. Lynch's free to Cronin and his pass into Crowley set up the first goal, Canty got the second and Michéal Ó Croinín side-stepped Seamus Moynihan for the third. There was to be no recovery from this barrage.
Cork edged the second half 1-4 to 1-3 with Crowley's second goal cancelled out by Paul Galvin's 68th-minute effort. Kerry's Darragh Ó Sé and Cork's Brendan Jer O'Sullivan joined Murray on the line. The sendings-off and the eight other yellow cards were testimony to sloppy discipline more than anything else but it means 20 yellow and six red cards have been handed out in the last two matches between the counties.
CORK: K O'Dwyer; N O'Donovan, N Geary, A Lynch; O Sexton, G Canty (1-0), N O'Leary; N Murphy, B Collins; BJ O'Sullivan, M Ó Croinín (1-1, 1f), D Kavanagh (0-1); A Cronin (capt), F Murray (0-1), C Crowley (2-3). Subs: P Kissane (0-1) for Sexton (25 mins), C Murphy (0-1) for Ó Croinín (57 mins), A O'Connor for Canty (58 mins), J O'Donoghue for Kavanagh (58 mins), D O'Sullivan for O'Leary (71 mins).
KERRY: D O'Keeffe; T O'Sullivan, B O'Shea (capt), M McCarthy; T Ó Sé (0-2), S Moynihan, J Sheehan; D Ó Sé, D Daly; S O'Sullivan (0-1), E Brosnan, A MacGearailt; D Quill (0-5, 3f), D Ó Cinnéide (0-1, f), C Cooper. Subs: S Scanlon for MacGearailt (33 mins), P Galvin for Daly (half-time), M Quirke for Brosnan (half-time), D O'Sullivan (1-0) for Cooper (59 mins), M Ó Sé for Sheehan (66 mins).
Referee: M Monahan (Kildare).
