Moynihan rescues Cork with last-gasp penalty
Having seen a two-point lead evaporate in injury-time of normal time in front of 2,208 people, Cork looked beaten after Kerry had upped their game in extra-time, But they were handed a lifeline when a Kerry defender was deemed to have used his foot to block a Moynihan shot, moments after the attacker had hit the post.
With Kerry goalkeeper Shane Ryan having earlier saved a penalty from midfielder Ryan Harkin, Moynihan stepped up this time, and though Ryan again got a touch, the ball just made it over the line, Moynihan racing up to make fully sure of the equaliser.
The second tilt against the Kingdom was earned due to character, in the view of Cork manager Ephie Fitzgerald.
“I thought the lads showed great heart and determination,” he said.
“In extra-time, you could see that Kerry had had better preparations, we had hurling for a few weeks and lads were cramping, but they gave it their all, their absolute all.
“I felt that we were unlucky not to win it in normal time, we gave away a few silly scores, but our general play and our attitude were very good. We’re happy to have another game, but I suppose all it is at this stage is a sparring match.”
Fitzgerald admitted he hadn’t seen the incident leading to the second penalty, however, and his opposite number, Kerry boss Mickey Ned O’Sullivan, was not fully satisfied with the award.
“I suppose you make your own luck, we have to go by whatever decisions were made and we only drew,” he said.
“I think that the referee overruled his two umpires, they said it was wide and he gave a penalty. There were a lot of positives, we were annihilated in the middle for long periods but we picked it up in extra-time.”
Prior to Cork’s late escape act, it looked as if the ability, and inability, of the sides to take goal chances would prove to be the decisive factor in determining a winner. Kerry had theirs first, Killian Spillane profiting after Shane O’Connor set him up in the 13th minute to put Kerry 1-1 to 0-2 in front. Michael Cahalane cancelled that out seven minutes later – he would finish with 1-5 – Cork should really have been further clear than the 1-4 to 1-2 half-time lead that they possessed, especially as centre-forward Killian O’Connor was doing so well.
After Jack Bushe’s excellent individual point, the same player was fouled for the first penalty but Ryan saved well from Harkin, and then midfielder Harkin was put through by Cahalane but his placed shot was agonisingly wide.
While the excellent Conor Keane and Cork captain Stephen Cronin exchanged points early in the second-half, Cork had lost their way in attack, and Kerry took control, Keane and Jack Savage helping to put them in front again at 1-6 to 1-5.
Cahalane came good for Cork two monster points, one a free, and with renewed impetus they pushed on again to lead 1-9 to 1-6 with just over five minutes left.
Though Savage and Keane pulled Kerry back to within a point, Cahalane’s free looked to have secured the win for the hosts before wing-back Matthew Flaherty and then Keane tied matters again.
Keane’s goal, after Spillane did the grunt work, gave Kerry a cushion and four points separated the sides at the turnaround. O’Connor and Cahalane reduced the gap before Savage pushed Kerry clear again, but Moynihan would have the final say.
Scorers for Cork: M Cahalane 1-5 (0-3 frees), K O’Connor 0-3, A Moynihan 1-0 (penalty), D O’Driscoll 0-2 (0-1 free), R O’Sullivan, S Cronin, J Bushe 0-1 each.
Scorers for Kerry: C Keane 1-6 (0-1 ‘45’), J Savage 0-4 (frees), K Spillane 1-0, D Foran, M Flaherty, C Jordan 0-1 each.
CORK: A Casey; M McSweeney, K Histon, N Hayes; K O’Neill, S Cronin, R O’Callaghan; P O’Neill, R Harkin; D O’Driscoll, K O’Connor, K Cremin; C O’Driscoll, M Cahalane, J Bushe.
Subs: D Quinn for Hayes (21), A Moynihan for C O’Driscoll (26), S White for P O’Neill (44), R O’Sullivan for D O’Driscoll (47), T Horgan for Histon (50), P O’Brien for R Cahalane, C O’Driscoll for Moynihan (both start of extra time), M Prendergast for Horgan (63), D O’Driscoll for Bushe (69), Moynihan for Cremin (77).
KERRY: S Ryan; ST Dillon, C Ó Lúing, P Ó Conchúir; M Flaherty, G Horan, B Sugrue; É Ó Conchúir, B O’Sullivan; T Ó Sé, J Savage, D Foran; C Keane, S O’Connor, K Spillane.
Subs: K Shanahan for O’Sullivan (half-time), C Jordan for O’Connor (49), F Clifford for Sugrue (55), C Murphy for É Ó Conchúir (56), É Ó Conchúir for Ó Sé (72), M Burns for Foran (77).
Referee: A Kissane (Waterford).
