Home wins for Cork and Mayo in U-21 Championship

Cork and Mayo secured semi-final spots in their respective Cadbury’s U-21 Football provincial championships thanks to victories on home soil against Kerry and Galway respectively this afternoon.

At Páirc Uí Rinn, Kerry crumbled to a heavy defeat after a very impressive Cork outfit registered a comfortable 1-17 to 0-9 win.

All-Ireland champions Kerry may have had the likes of senior stars Tommy Walsh and UL student David Moran on board, but a Cork outfit backed by the core of Cork IT’s recent inaugural Sigerson Cup winning side were in strong form.

All bar two of the Cork points came from open play with Colm O’Neill chipping in with a brace of scores from frees, as the Rebels held a 1-9 to 0-4 interval lead, with Conor O’Driscoll netting for the hosts.

O’Driscoll and Shane McCarthy continued to ensure Rebel dominance in the second half, with a late James Fitzpatrick point sealing an 11-point win and a semi-final spot against Waterford next weekend.

In Connacht Mayo withstood some strong Galway pressure to take a slender 2-6 to 0-11 win at Charlestown.

A 43rd-minute Jason Doherty goal ensured Mayo opened up a 2-5 to 0-6 lead and although the eventual winners were outscored by five points to one in the closing 17 minutes, they held out for victory.

Michael Martyn, Fiachra Breathnach and Eoin Concannon spear-headed the Galway comeback, and although Concannon had a fourth-minute injury-time chance to send the game to extra-time, his effort went to the left of posts as Mayo took a one-point win.