Pat Ryan's Cork get up and running with routine win against Kerry
Kerry's Cillian Trant Kerry and Cormac Beausang of Cork during the game which was played under lights in Tralee. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD
The Pat Ryan era, as expected, is off to a winning start.
Where Kerry had opened their 2022 season with a shock - and historic - Munster League victory over Tipperary, Stephen Molumphy’s charges were unable to repeat the trick in their first competitive bow of 2023.
The home side never led beyond the third minute. Behind by 12 at the break, not even two second-half Podge Boyle goals could make the tiniest inroad on that deficit.
For Cork, two injuries slightly overshadowed this facile campaign-opening win. Shane Kingston pulled up with a groin injury two minutes into the second half, while debutant Ben Cunningham wasn’t two minutes introduced when he walked back out to the sideline because of injury.
Cork’s opening win of 2023 had been secured by the time referee Alan Tierney sounded his interval whistle. At 1-16 to 0-7 in front, Cork were not for catching. And even though Kerry would enjoy the backing of a strong-ish breeze upon the change of ends, they’d have needed a gale of red alert proportions to bridge the 12-point half-time gap.
It was actually the home side who were first off the mark in that opening half, Shane Conway splitting the posts 11 seconds in. They’d not score again from play, though, for another 18 minutes. By that midway mark of the half, the Kingdom were five in arrears, and counting. Only Fionan MacKessy for the hosts was making a nuisance of himself.
The Cork goal arrived four minutes later. Debutant Ethan Twomey supplied the ball in from midfield and Declan Dalton was fouled. The latter promptly dusted himself down and dispatched the resulting penalty.
Alan Cadogan and another debutant Cormac Beausang both threw over three from play in the opening half, with Conor Lehane clipping one less.
Top-scoring was Shane Kingston, the corner-forward firing over five frees and one from play. The corner-forward looked to be in for a certain goal in the play following his fourth converted free on 16 minutes. But producing a fine save was goalkeeper John B O’Halloran.
O’Halloran was beaten for a second time five minutes into the second half by substitute Shane Barrett. The Blarney forward, introduced for the injured Kingston, finished with 1-3.
Brian Roche’s 45th-minute white flag meant all six starting forwards found the target, with subs Brian O’Sullivan and Colin Walsh also writing their names onto the scoresheet.
While Cork’s application and workrate lacked for nothing, Ryan’s charges know they face a far sterner January examination when All-Ireland champions Limerick travel to Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday week.
D Dalton (1-7, 1-0, 0-2 frees); S Kingston (0-6, 0-5 frees); S Barrett (1-3, 0-1 free); A Cadogan (0-4); C Lehane, C Beausang (0-3 each); T O’Connell, B Roche, C Walsh, B O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
: P Boyle (2-7, 1-5 frees); J Conway, S Conway, K Carmody (0-2 each); F MacKessy, N Mulcahy, D Goggin, K O’Connor (0-1 each).
: G Collins; S O’Donoghue, N O’Leary, E Roche; M Keane, T O’Connell, R Downey; E Twomey, S Quirke; C Beausang, C Lehane, B Roche; S Kingston, D Dalton, A Cadogan.
Subs: C Joyce for M Keane, L Meade for Twomey, C Cahalane for Beausang (all HT); S Barrett for Kingston (37 mins, inj); B O’Sullivan for Quirke (43); B Cunningham for Lehane (51); C Walsh for Cunningham (53, inj).
: JB O’Halloran; C O’Keeffe, M Boyle, E Murphy; K O’Connor, F MacKessy, S Weir; M Leane, C Trant; S Conway, C Walsh, J Conway; G Dooley, P Boyle, D Collins.
Subs: M Madden for O’Keeffe (temporary, 26-27); M Madden for Trant (42); N Mulcahy for Dooley (43); T Brick for O’Keeffe (44); K Carmody for Weir (46); P Lucid for Collins (50); D Goggin for Walsh (54); M Heffernan for S Conway, V Doyle for Murphy (both 62); B Lonergan for MacKessy, R Heffernan for P Boyle (both 66).
: A Tierney (Tipperary).
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