Tony Leen: The ghost of Tadhgie Murphy comes back to haunt Kerry

Mark Keane of Cork celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Munster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Cork and Kerry at Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Cork. Photo by Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

An extraordinary end to a surreal afternoon in the Páirc. Finally, perhaps, a new house to call home for Cork football after a shuddering, raucous end down the Marina.

An evening when the faint sense of Tadghie Murphy hung over proceedings, Cork defiantly hanging around, Kerry ahead but never comfortable before the upstart chinned them at the City End — just like Murphy did past Charlie Nelligan 37 years ago.

This time it was a young buck from Mitchelstown, by way of Australia, delivering the Championship’s first seismic shock as Kerry went their lonely road and Ronan McCarthy’s Cork sized up an appealing winter schedule. Three games to an All-Ireland? Stranger things have happened.

Certainly if Cork’s belligerence continues to serve them well, they will be a difficult obstacle to remove for anyone on the road to Croker. On Sunday, they were the stone in Kerry’s shoe from first minute to final second. If the Kingdom were arguably the better side, they weren’t anywhere near good enough to put safe distance between themselves and the phalanx of red jerseys, harassing them into persistently bad errors.

If the climax was extraordinary, the response to Cork’s injury-time winning goal was utterly surreal.

With no cacophony of sounds, one was forced into a double-take to confirm what had happened.

Luke Connolly’s attempted equaliser hung in the night sky as the clock moved beyond the single minute of injury-time in the second period of extra-time. It found its way into the grateful arms of AFL rookie Mark Keane who joyfully planted it beyond a rooted Shane Ryan.

There was only time for Kerry despair, but their profligacy and inexcusable decision-making in possession was ultimately their undoing. How much of that was opposition pressure they couldn’t handle is a discussion for the long winter ahead. Peter Keane didn’t have much to say afterwards but two words resonated: Game Management.

Or rather the lack of it. Inexplicable mistakes from the likes of David Moran and misses from Clifford, O’Shea et al were Cork’s oxygen. Kerry’s best forward on the day didn’t start the game — Killian Spillane came in and kicked more points than anyone else in green and gold (four), but beyond the early surges of Briain Ó Beaglaoich, Kerry produced no goal threat. If their deep-lying defensive block was well advertised in recent league games, there was nothing of the rapid transition that Monaghan and Donegal allowed. McCarthy and Cian O’Neill had their work done.

Points from Killian O’Hanlon (45) and Kevin O’Donovan gave Cork a 0-6 to 0-5 half-time lead, but more importantly a foothold — not just in this Munster semi-final but a basecamp of belief that this was doable.

Remember, Cork hadn’t beaten a ‘top eight’ team since forever — “never mind a top-two team” as Ronan McCarthy said afterwards.

Paul Murphy of Kerry blocks a shot by Sean Powter of Cork. Picrture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

At half time, Kerry’s anxiety existed on several levels and in any number of areas. Cork hadn’t come to be part of a festival, rain or not. They brought an earthy, rudimentary approach to proceedings, content to snipe for scores as and when they had secured a foothold in the final third – usually via the movement of Brian Hurley.

If possession was turned over, they pressed high and were aided by the indecision of Kerry keeper Shane Ryan with his restarts. Ryan had the uncertainty of a man being statistically critiqued by a clipboard but he would have been better served trusting his own instincts and getting off the restarts as and when his colleagues had secured momentary separation.

At the sharp end of the field, Kerry were occasionally dynamic in early thrusts but frequently inaccurate in the finish. Sean O’Shea was oddly off, as was the precision of inside duo Brosnan and Clifford. Where Cork were all about economy and no waste, Kerry managed 30 scoring chances over the piece — and converted 13.

Less a game of poker than patience. Cork working across the field, unperturbed by the lack of progress; Kerry sitting in and moving the opposition east-west. In the second period, Kerry controlled territory but Cork’s rare sorties beyond midfield were carefully constructed.

It’s not that they were playing blindingly well — more they were playing really smart and maximising the output from every player. Any mature assessment of the Cork ratings would deliver a lot of sevens and eights, for graft more than craft.

Seanie Powter was designated to pick up Sean O’Shea on the 40 but he got forward for a point.

Maurice Shanley’s match-up with David Clifford drew knowing glances in the press tribune when it was advertised before throw-in, but the Clonakilty man had a marvellous outing. It if was bettered, it was by another freshman in Kiskeam wing-back Sean Meehan, who had a right battle with Kerry championship debutant Ronan Buckley. The midfield of O’Hanlon and Maguire were often outnumbered by a third Kerry man (O Beaglaoich) but never overpowered.

The timing of Cork’s second-half changes was instructive too, in keeping with a pre-determined plan to keep probing at the Kerry defence, management and psyche. Mark Keane and Luke Connolly were introduced to good effect — in the case of the former, unforgettable effect — and Michael Hurley got on a good ball in the middle third.

At the three-quarter mark, Buckley was black-carded, and Cork went 0-8 to 0-7 in front via a Mark Collins free. It was the last time they would lead before Keane laminated himself on the history of this fixture. Kerry, having looked rudderless, briefly got to grips with the challenges that had eluded them like a greasy ball. Sean O’Shea hit two big points, Killian Spillane continued to impress and they edged 0-10 to 0-8 in front in the 68th minute.

Again though, their game management let them down badly. David Moran tripped Ruairi Deane for a ten-minute spell in the bin and after Luke Connolly reduced it to a point, Powter won a free for Mark Collins to bring the game to extra-time.

Biblical rain showers only added to the sense of something cooking. Referee Derek O’Mahoney had obvious difficulties with the conditions but he was too whistle happy by far and made the game bitty.

Kerry made a third attempt to restore the natural order of things in extra-time but again they tripped themselves up. Cllifford pulled a second relatively easy free wide and gave up a tap-over by not calling a mark. The first period of extra-time was the game in microcosm — Kerry dominating territory and possession but claiming only two points, Cork pulling one back on the whistle via a super Connolly free.

Spillane — who else? — added to Kerry’s tally but now they were in the mood to declare with the finishing line in sight. Such a policy has never served Kerry well. The men of 1982 are still reminded of that in the Seamus Darby final to this day. Jack Sherwood and Jack Barry filled two half-forward slots, and Tommy Walsh was introduced to mop up primary ball around the middle third.

Luke Connolly landed a stunning free from under the stand to unnerve Kerry still further. A point in it, a minute remaining and the Kingdom were still kicking erratically and unnecessarily. It created the wickedly tantalising scenario of penalties if Cork could use their last possession to force a draw. Like they’d done in normal time, the Rebels — seldom so aptly titled — played keep ball until Connolly wound up for a shot at salvation.

This time though the miracle at the City End came from above. Via down under.