Second half blitz carries Clifford and Kerry to impressive victory over Cork

Kerry's David Clifford celebrates a score during the GAA Football All-Ireland SFC Round 2 match between Cork and Kerry. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

All-Ireland SFC: Kerry 1-28 (1-7-14) Cork 0-20 (0-3-14) 

A rare deluge of orange flags from the men in green and gold. A not-so-rare victory for the green and gold over the neighbours. 

Kerry remain in pole position for direct progress to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Cork have 70 minutes against Roscommon to rescue their summer.

The third quarter was the busiest and arguably the defining quarter of this second championship instalment between Cork and Kerry. The third quarter was busy before it ever began.

A bout of digging and pushing on the way back to the dressing-rooms at half-time was dealt with as both sides emerged from their respective dressing-rooms for the second period. Jack O’Connor first sought to make his views known to referee Derek O’Mahoney. 

He was yellow-carded for his views. 

Yellow also for Brian Hurley and David Clifford, black for Joe O’Connor and Paul Walsh.

Referee O’Mahoney moved himself more and more centre stage as the third quarter played out. 

Cork manager John Cleary and Kerry manager Jack O'Connor amongst the half-time skirmish. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

He penalised Cork for having only two up. He twice penalised Cork for impeding the Kerry ball-holder after the green and gold took down a Micheál Aodh Martin restart.

All three alleged indiscretions were punished with orange flags from David Clifford and previously subdued Seán O’Shea. Kerry, in total, kicked five two-pointers across the third quarter. 

Clifford and O’Shea added one each from play to their placed-ball efforts.

Mark O’Shea and Killian Spillane were two other instrumental third-quarter figures. O'Shea was the kickout winner fouled for one of the already mentioned two-pointers. Spillane rose a pair of white flags.

From 0-13 to 1-7 behind at the break to 1-21 to 0-16 clear by the 52nd minute. An 11-point swing.

O’Shea was a first-half introduction for the injured Barry Dan O’Sullivan. Kerry’s midfield options continue to thin. Paudie Clifford was also a first-half withdrawal. He didn’t look best pleased coming off. One can only assume it was injury-related. 

Paul Geaney did not re-emerge for the second half because of injury. Unwanted and unwelcome additions to the sickbay.

Cork’s first point from play of the second period did not arrive until sub Ruairí Deane split the posts on 58 minutes. A Mark Cronin penalty after the hour mark was repelled superbly  Shane Ryan. Cronin’s two follow-up attempts were also repelled. 

Brian O’Driscoll had a later goal chance smothered. Of Cork’s five goal chances throughout, the green flag never moved.

Tom O'Sullivan and sub Tony Brosnan again moved the orange flag late on and brought their two-point count to seven by the finish. Overlooked up to here, exploited superbly when the conditions allowed.

Cork's Seán McDonnell is tackled by Brian O'Beaghaoich with Gavin White of Kerry. Pic: Bryan Keane

Across the previous two years of the Sam Maguire group series, only two teams have emerged from their group on two points. Cork must beat Roscommon next time out in an attempt to progress off the same total.

An intense spotlight was fixed on the Cork restart. Micheál Aodh Martin’s first punt of the afternoon was collected by a Cork teammate and finished with Mark Cronin converting from the placed ball.

A reassuring start, even if it was only the first kickout of a long afternoon and had the breeze for support. Cork actually lost only two of their nine first-half restarts. The two lost, though, came at a significant price. The two lost cost them 1-1.

Five minutes in, and following David Clifford’s opening point to nudge the visitors 0-2 to 0-1 in front, Martin kicked to the edge of the arc. 

The intention was to find Brian O’Driscoll. Clifford read the intention and intercepted. Goal Kerry.

The irony was that after a week in which his long kickouts to an overloaded left flank were heavily criticised and branded utterly predictable, it was the short restart that undid Martin and Cork.

Playing into a minor gale, the buffer of the giveaway goal sustained Kerry for most of the half. A second Clifford point, after Seán McDonnell dallied at the far end, and another from the Fossa wonder following a second lost Cork restart, pushed Jack’s lads into a 1-4 to 0-2 advantage.

For all Cork’s possession dominance thereafter, there were still 26 minutes run on the clock before Cork crept ahead for the opening time.

The Kerry kickout was the kickout under pressure and being savaged. In the middle of the half, five consecutive Shane Ryan restarts were not retained. Cork’s problem was they failed to punish.

Three goal chances were not taken. Ryan denied Cronin and Mattie Taylor. 

The third and final green flag opening saw Taylor foiled as the trigger was pulled back. Maurice Shanley drew a boot at the breaking ball, but no net was found.

Colm O’Callaghan, with his second of the half, swung Cork back in front approaching the hooter. Brian Hurley, after the hooter, landed a crowd lifting two-pointer. 0-13 to 1-7 at the break.

A three-point lead, such were the elements, was never going to be sufficient. And so that point of view was quickly proven right.

In front of 13,072, Kerry remain unbeaten. For Cork, just one win now from their last five championship outings.

Scorers for Kerry: D Clifford (1-8, tp, tp free, 0-2 frees); S O’Shea (0-9, 3 tp frees, 0-3 frees); T O’Sullivan (tp), P Geaney, T Brosnan (tp), K Spillane (0-2 each); G O’Sullivan, P Clifford, D Geaney (0-1 each).

Scorers for Cork: B Hurley (0-7, tp, tp free, 0-2 frees); M Cronin (0-5, 0-4 frees); P Walsh (0-3, tp); C Óg Jones (0-1 free), C O’Callaghan (0-2 each); R Deane (0-1).

KERRY: S Ryan; T O’Sullivan, J Foley, D Casey; B Ó Beaglaoich, M Breen, G White; J O’Connor, BD O’Sullivan; G O’Sullivan, P Clifford, S O’Shea; D Clifford, P Geaney, M Burns.

SUBS: M O’Shea for BD O'Sullivan (21 mins); D Geaney for P Clifford (31); K Spillane for Geaney (inj, HT); T Brosnan for Burns (59); T Morley for Ó Beaglaoich (66).

CORK: MA Martin; S Brady, S Meehan, D O’Mahony; B O’Driscoll, M Shanley, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; S Walsh, P Walsh, S McDonnell; C Óg Jones, B Hurley, M Cronin.

SUBS: S Powter for Meehan (43); R Deane for McDonnell (50); C O’Mahony for B Hurley (60); L Fahy for Taylor (65); E McSweeney for P Walsh (66).

REFEREE: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).