Third time lucky for the Kingdom

IT was third time lucky for the footballers of Kerry as they finally overcame their neighbours and old rivals Cork to secure a place in the All-Ireland senior football final.

The historic clash the sides' first championship encounter at Croke Park followed a draw and a replay victory for the Leesiders in the Munster semi-final earlier in the summer.

But Páidí Ó Sé's men from the Kingdom hardly ever looked like losing in yesterday's meeting, which was watched by over 46,000 fans.

They notched up six points before the Rebels got on the scoreboard and led by nine points at the interval.

They had stretched the lead to 15 points by the final whistle, at which point Cork had only 13 players

remaining on the field one more than their opponents.

Afterwards, Kerry captain Darragh Ó Sé acknowledged that Cork never played to the best of their ability.

"They're a better team than that, but sometimes that can happen teams. We know that only too well," he said.

The midfielder was at the centre of huge debate in the lead-up to the game after picking up a red card in a club game two weeks before.

But for his delighted uncle and team manager, Páidí Ó Sé, the controversy had little effect.

"That's over and done with and, believe it or not, it didn't interfere with our preparations at all, really," the former Kerry great said.

His managerial counterpart Larry Tompkins, no stranger to All-Ireland glory either, was noble in defeat and wasn't contemplating his next move in any great detail.

"The players are the number one, never mind about Larry Tompkins. I would hope they'll bounce back from this.

"But I've made no decision on my future," he said.

While Darragh Ó Sé was lucky to have taken his place, the Cork team might not have even been there after their own blood substitute controversy in their Munster final victory over Tipperary.

It took a meeting of the provincial council's games administration

committee to confirm them as champions after they breached the rules, but not sufficient to lose their crown.

Kerry are now awaiting the winners of next weekend's second

semi-final between Armagh and Dublin to find out who they will face in the decider on September 22.

However, it wasn't all joy for Kerry yesterday, with their minors losing to Meath 2-13 to 1-11.