Cork outgunned by old rivals Kerry

Cork 0-9 Kerry 0-14

Mike Frank Russell kicked five frees to guide Kerry to their first win of the new NFL Division 1A campaign tonight – a five-point beating of arch rivals Cork at Pairc Ui Rinn.

In drizzly conditions, Russell and Colm Cooper (0-3) led the Kingdom scoring as they gradually wore down a young Cork outfit.

With the sides meeting for the fifth time in just over a year – Cork won their McGrath Cup final tussle of two weeks ago by 1-9 to 0-06 – tonight’s re-match was always going to be a tight affair.

Indeed, it took 18 minutes until either side registered a point from play. Kevin O’Sullivan and Cooper traded early frees, and Russell got off the mark before Eire Og teenager Daniel Goulding, starting at full-forward for the sidelined Brendan Jer O’Sullivan, notched the first score from play.

Midfielders Darragh O’Se and Kieran Donaghy were winning Kerry a wholesale amount of possession, but points were difficult to find. Cork were industrious, and spurred on by the tigerish Goulding, they led 0-5 to 0-4 at the break.

Cork ‘keeper Alan Quirke got down well to save at the feet of Russell on 19 minutes, then Kerry captain Declan O’Sullivan pointed from a rebounded free and Cork defender Sean Levis hared up the other end to skim a shot over.

Kerry substitute Sean O’Sullivan, barely on the field, pointed before Goulding fisted over to level for the fourth time. The latter added a free in injury-time to ensure Cork’s slim advantage for the second half.

Goulding, who scored 0-4 (1f) in all, continued to dominate proceedings as he had a goal shot blocked by Tom O’Sullivan and swung another point over off his left for a two-point Cork lead, two minutes into the second half.

Almost immediately, Kerry stepped up through the gears however. Cooper sent Eoin Brosnan marauding through to level at 0-6 apiece and a Cooper free on 46 minutes squared it up again at 0-7 each.

Kerry, now dominant, outscored their hosts by seven points to two in the closing 26 minutes. Donaghy rifled over on the overlap, Cooper threw two dummies to score an impish point, and Darren O’Sullivan and Aidan O’Mahony also got off the mark for Jack O’Connor’s men.

Right corner forward Russell, who shot six points against Mayo last week, gelled it all together by landing three frees in the final 13 minutes. Cork simply ran out of gas with Kevin McMahon and Fintan Goold (free) their only scorers in the run-in to full-time.

Scorers

Cork: Daniel Goulding 0-04 (1f), Kevin O’Sullivan (1f), Fintan Goold (1f), Sean Levis, Conor McCarthy, Kevin McMahon 0-01 each

Kerry: Mike Frank Russell 0-05 (5f), Colm Cooper 0-03 (2f), Eoin Brosnan, Declan O’Sullivan, Sean O’Sullivan, Kieran Donaghy, Darren O’Sullivan, Aidan O’Mahony 0-01 each

Full report to follow…