Deadly Daniel sharpens Cork’s edge
Conor Counihan’s side continued their unblemished start to life in Division 1, while Kerry are in an unfamiliar scrap at the foot of the table. Nearly 5,000 people clicked through the turnstiles and, corny Valentine’s Day metaphors aside, everything but love hung heavily in the air afterwards. There was an unhealthy tension in the opening half; by the interval, there were only 27 men standing.
Referee Maurice Deegan’s decision to order off Cork’s Noel Galvin and Eoin Cadogan, and Kerry’s Paul Galvin consumed much of the crowd chatter. There was certainly doubts about the merit of Cadogan’s and Galvin’s dismissals, and the match threatened to descend into farce before the break as skirmishes erupted all over the pitch. Calm was restored in the second half with the spotlight on football.
It was a night that brought positives for Cork with their manager Conor Counihan. “We’re very happy to have four points on the board and at how the lads knuckled down with 13 men and showed good spirit. It was something similar last week against Monaghan. It’s good to see such spirit and commitment at this stage of the year.”
It may be early in the season but Sigerson Cup involvement means some are operating at a degree or two higher in terms of match fitness and sharpness. Cork’s third-level brigade of Michael Shields, Paul Kerrigan and Daniel Goulding were central to their success. Shields was dominated aerially by Kieran Donaghy in the first half, but contested vigorously with the Austin Stacks man on the ground. When released to centre-back after the interval, he orchestrated the play and thumped over a long-range beauty in the 60th minute.
Kerrigan is profiting from his relocation to corner-forward and is displaying greater directness in his offensive running. His fourth-minute goal after Paul O’Flynn released him was a clinical finish and the final point of the game that he arced over in the 66th minute was no less significant. But Goulding was Cork’s main man. He showed constantly for possession in the first half and helped them lead 1-4 to 0-6 at the break. In the second half he tweaked his radar to devastating effect.
“Daniel had a very good run tonight,” remarked Counihan. “The quality of ball coming into him was good but he delivered a really good performance. There are a lot of lads involved in third-level and it is tough for them. They’re excellent guys but we need to keep them fresh.”
Cork’s older heads chipped in as well, with Ger Spillane and Paudie Kissane spearheading a resolute defensive effort. But Cork’s performance was not without fault. They struck some bad first-half wides and several shots dropped short to Kerry goalkeeper Brendan Kealy.
The Kilcummin man was the latest to audition for the Kerry No 1 position and can be pleased with his night’s work. His handling and kickouts were both sound, and he made a terrific fingertip save to deny Goulding a 46th minute goal. Apart from that, there weren’t many Kerry’s starters to perform with distinction. Donaghy and Barry John Walsh both shone in the first half but lacked the support and service after that to impact. The experimentation with the ‘mark’ is underscoring Mike Quirke’s aerial prowess, and his partner Seamus Scanlon looked the sharpest of Kerry’s regulars.
Perhaps the greatest plus for Jack O’Connor was the impact of his young replacements. The Keane version of the Barry Johns from Strand Road was busy and incisive in claiming 0-3.
Blennerville’s David O’Callaghan translated his Sigerson Cup form to the senior stage when snapping over two lovely scores late on.
Their input kept Kerry in with a shout through the second half. Keane’s salvo pushed them 0-9 to 1-5 ahead by the 41st minute, and after Goulding’s tour de force, O’Callaghan pegged it back to a one-point game at 1-10 to 0-12 by the 62nd minute. Cork finished stronger and the threadbare look of the Kerry panel was self-evident. Jack O’Connor conceded his side lagged behind in the fitness stakes.
“We were a bit better than last week but that’s the only positive I’d take. Cork were fitter and stronger. We’ve a lot of work to do. The younger fellas did well but our panel is sparse at the moment. There are no excuses and players would want to be coming back now. We need to work harder.”
Scorers for Cork: D Goulding 0-7 (0-1f), P Kerrigan 1-2, P O’Flynn, D O’Connor (0-1f), M Shields 0-1 each.
Kerry: BJ Keane 0-3 (0-1f), BJ Walsh (0-1f), P O’Connor (0-2f), D Walsh, D O’Callaghan 0-2 each, D O’Sullivan 0-1.
Cork Subs: C O’Driscoll for O’Flynn (47), F Goold for A O’Connor (60), C O’Neill for D O’Connor (63), J Hayes for Kerrigan (66), J Masters for Goulding (70).
Kerry Subs: D Moran for A O’Sullivan (31), BJ Keane for O’Connor (half-time), J O’Donoghue for BJ Walsh (49), D O’Callaghan for Moran (61), K O’Leary for D Walsh (66)
Referee: Maurice Deegan (Laois)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
