Cork in control as Kerry lack firepower

Cork 1-9 Kerry 0-6

The first came in the seventh minute when Robert O’Mahony finished off a superb passing move with a cracking goal. The build-up was neat and precise, a series of clever passes involving Eoin Sexton and Nicholas Murphy enabling O’Mahony to easily beat Kerry ’keeper Diarmuid Murphy to give his side a lead they never lost.

The other highlights also involved Cork. Kevin O’Sullivan’s point out near the pavilion with his left foot would grace any arena, while Brendan Ger O’Sullivan’s two magnificent long range points were equally as good.

The final highlight was Corkgoalkeeper Alan Quirke’s wonder save from Tomas Ó Sé late in the game. Ó Se’s blistering shot had goal written all over it, but the Innishannon man managed to get his hands to the ball and prevent a score that would have only put a little more respectability on the scoreboard for Kerry.

Both teams were muchunder-strength and the game suffered as a consequence. It lacked any real bite; play was scrappy for long periods and, overall, it was a match both sets of selectors won’t put any great credence on.

Cork coach Billy Morgan was pleased at winning some silverware but was under no illusions as to what lies ahead. “Kerry will be back here for a league game in a fortnight’s time and there will be far more urgency about them than there was today,” he said.

“You cannot read anything into today’s game, but any time you beat Kerry is nice. They are capable of playing far better than they did, but it’s a start for us. You have to take into account that Kerry didn’t look to be fit or too interested in the game.

“However we can take a few positives from the match. Defensively we did very well and I thought our forwards worked the ball very well. This is our fourth win on the trot and winning is always very good for confidence. There are far more difficult games ahead and we certainly won’t get carried away.”

With so many first-choice players absent, it was another opportunity for the fringe players on both teams to show what they could do. Ger Spillane continues to grow in stature at centre-back for Cork; Michael Prout found himself up against a different class of forward in Aidan MacGearailt but still acquitted himself well.

Kieran O’Connor also did very well on Mike Frank Russell. Preventing the Killorglin man from scoring from play was an excellent achievement. Dermot Hurley had his moments at midfield, while up front Kevin O’Sullivan was Cork’s best forward.

Just how serious Kerry were about the game was very hard to judge, but team selector Ger O’Keeffe said they won’t be ringing any alarm bells just yet.

“We certainly were a bit lethargic out there but to be fair to the lads we had a very hard training session on Friday night and you have to remember this is still only January. There is a long season ahead of us. There wasn’t a whole lot in the game in the first-half but we under performed in the second. When last did a Kerry team score only six points in a game. We won’t be reading too much into today’s affair. Others might but we won’t.”

Kerry made the early running and led with a Mike Frank Russell free after four minutes. However, Cork showed excellent skill in creating the goal chance for Robert O’Mahony when Nicholas Murphy set him up, and the St Finbarr’s man made no mistake from five metres.

While Kerry enjoyed a lot of possession, their forwards could make no impression, and after Aodan MacGearailt kicked over a point in the 13th minute, they failed to score again until the 32nd minute as Cork began to take control. With Nicholas Murphy and Diarmuid Hurley giving them a grip at midfield, the home side added five points in a row, two of them by Brendan Ger O’Sullivan.

Kerry introduced Marc Ó Se and Eoin Brosnan for the second-half but it made little difference as home side continued to dominate in most areas of the field, and by the end of the third quarter still had their six-point half time lead intact after the teams shared four points.

Play became very scrappy from there to the end with passes going astray and chances being wasted by both sides. Kerry put in a late rally but Tomas Ó Se’s effort, superbly saved by Alan Quirke, was the closest they came to a goal which might have given the fair sized crowd a grandstand finish.

Scorers: Cork: K. O'Sullivan 0-4; BG O'Sullivan 0-3; R. O'Mahony 1-0; C. McCarthy, P. Clifford 0-1 each. Kerry: MF Russell, P. O'Connor 0-2 each; A. MacGearailt, T., O Se 0-1 each.

CORK: A. Quirke; K. O'Connor, G. Canty, M. Prout; E. Sexton, G. Spillane, S. Levis; N. Murphy, D. Hurley; A. Lynch, BJ O'Sullivan, N. O'Leary; K. O'Sullivan, C. McCarthy, R. O'Mahony. Subs:P. Clifford for O'Mahony; D. Duggan for Prout; S. O'Sullivan for Lynch.

KERRY: D. Murphy; T. O'Sullivan, M. McCarthy, A. O'Connell; T. O Se, E. Fitzmaurice, B. Guiney; D. O Se, K. Donaghy; Darren O'Sullivan, Declan O'Sullivan, P. Kelly; MF Russell, A. O'Connor, A. MacGearailt. Subs:M. Ó Se for T. O'Sullivan; E. Brosnan for Donaghy; P. O'Connor for A. O'Connor; A. O'Mahony for Fitzmaurice; S. O'Sullivan for MacGearailt.

Referee: B. Tyrell (Tipperary).