Kerry seal comfortable win over Cork

Kerry 0-16 Cork 0-10

Kerry avenged their Munster final replay defeat with a comfortable All-Ireland SFC semi-final success over Cork in front of 58,703 sun-drenched spectators at Croke Park.

Inspired by brilliant midfielder Darragh O Se, the Kingdom also basked in Mike Frank Russell’s return to form, the Laune Rangers man kicking six points as last year’s beaten finalists marched on to a meeting either Dublin or Mayo in the Sam Maguire Cup decider.

Cork defended bravely against the aerial threat of Donaghy in the opening quarter, but still needed two saves from goalkeeper Alan Quirke to deny Donaghy and Eoin Brosnan.

And they eased into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead with scores from Conor McCarthy, James Masters and Donnacha O’Connor.

The Rebels were still ahead by 0-4 to 0-2 midway through the first half, but the second quarter belonged to an emerging Kerry.

They hit six points and conceded just one during that period, with Mike Frank Russell bringing his tally to three and Colm Cooper converting two frees.

At the break, the Kingdom led by 0-8 to 0-5 and when Russell shot his sixth point midway through the second period, they were ahead by five.

Darragh O Se was virtually everywhere, winning ball at midfield and dropping back to pluck hopeful Cork deliveries out of the air close to his own goal.

Full back Michael McCarthy also made a heroic intervention, denying Kevin O’Sullivan a gaol with a superb block.

With ace attacker James Masters held scoreless from play for 63 minutes, Cork’s attacking options were limited.

Nevertheless, they trailed by just four points as the final five minutes approached, but Kerry coasted to victory without ever reaching flat-out pace.