Cork U20s pip Kerry to break losing streak

Both Thursday evening results mean all four counties can end up in the Munster decider.

Cork’s Odhran Foley tries to get away from Kerry's Daniel Kirby at SuerValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture by Noel Sweeney

Cork 0-10 (0-2-6) Kerry 0-9 (0-0-9)

A turning of the tide for Cork underage football? That remains to be seen. It would be foolish and fiercely premature to make grand pronouncements off one result - fine and all as that result was.

What is certain is that a whole host of losing runs have been brought to their knees. Long overdue too.

With Kerry having edged the last six contests between the counties at the U20 age-grade, Thursday's one-point victory represented Cork's first over the green and gold since the summer of 2021.

Factor in too that Kerry have won the last five meetings between the counties at minor level. An overall nine-game losing run across the two underage grades is no more. For the first time in 10 games and three years, Cork have bettered the green and gold in an underage championship fixture.

We asked Cork manager Ray Keane for the big-picture importance of this result. The big picture is not his concern. The Cork U20 class of 2026 is his sole concern.

“[The bigger picture] is irrelevant, as far as I am concerned. My job is to develop that group, along with the entire backroom team, and that’s all that matters to us,” Keane replied.

“Anybody else above, bigger powers and whatever, they can worry about the political side of it or the wider aspect of Cork football.

“If we go out and lose to Waterford next week, it’ll be back in a quagmire. The reality is we won by a point. After Quilty, people were probably thinking, 'Jesus, where is this going?' It is small margins in sport. Very small.” 

Let’s narrow the picture so. How important was it for his group to better a Kerry team?

“I don’t think it is anything about who we beat. Relevance on the group is that they were able to turn around their performance from Quilty, and because of that we got the result. Simple as that.” 

A Kerry team that posted 2-27 against Waterford was limited to 0-9 here. There was no Kerry score between Ronan Carroll’s eight-minute point to push the visitors three clear and Tomás Kennedy’s 38th-minute point to close the Cork lead to two.

Mixed in with aggressive Cork tackling was absolutely woeful Kerry shooting. Kerry had five wides registered when Seán O’Leary opened the Cork account just shy of the 11th minute. They finished the half with nine wides and a Gearóid White point attempt dropped short. They finished the game with 13 wides in the ledger.

“I would,” replied Keane when put to him that he must surely be happy with the rearguard effort, “and I’d love to get the chance to try and do it again, straight out.” The likelihood is that he will. The defeat is not fatal to Tomás Ó Sé’s youngsters. While all four counties involved in the Munster Phase 2 series can still reach the concluding day, it’ll be another Cork-Kerry decider should both sides win at home to Waterford and Clare respectively next week.

The Cork win, overseen by a man of Kerry birth, becomes even more impressive when you learn that senior starter Dara Sheedy departed with a knee injury 10 minutes before the break.

A first-half that saw no outfield Cork possession in the first five minutes and produced no score on either side from the quarter-hour mark on finished level at 0-3 apiece. Cork shot in front for the first time 22 seconds upon the restart. Half-forward Mark O’Brien threw over an outstanding two-pointer.

Kerry found scores and parity. The impactful Odhran Foley shoved Cork in front, 0-8 to 0-7, on 51 minutes. Danny Miskella’s two-pointer on 55 minutes stretched that lead to three. Outstanding midfielder Darragh Clifford almost goaled earlier in the same play.

The closing stages was a Kerry siege. Daniel Kirby and Kennedy - their two leading characters - bought them within one in the final minute of injury-time. No equaliser was to follow. Fallen has Kerry’s nine-game winning run over Cork across minor and U20.

Scorers for Cork: D Miskella (0-3, tp, 0-1 free); M O’Brien (0-2, tp); B Curtin (0-1 ‘45), S O’Leary, O Foley, D Sheedy, D O’Neill (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kerry: T Kennedy (0-3, 0-1 free); P Lane (0-2 frees); S Ó Cúinn, R Carroll, D Kirby, M McKivergan (0-1 each).

Cork: B Curtin (Valley Rovers); F Hurley (O’Donovan Rossa), P Rose (Ballincollig), H Wixted (Bishopstown); S O’Leary (Kilmurry), C McCarthy (St Colum’s), O Foley (Bishopstown); D Clifford (Éire Óg), T Kiely (Mallow); M O’Brien (Ballinora), D Sheedy (Bantry Blues), G Holland (Bishopstown); S Coakley (Douglas), R Barrett (St Finbarr’s), D Miskella (Ballincollig).

Subs: D O’Mullane (Kilmurry) for Sheedy (20, inj); D O’Neill (Carbery Rangers) for Kiely (HT); A Keane (Kinsale) for Coakley (45); L Shorten (Tadhg MacCarthaigh) for Barrett (60); L Murphy (Barryoe) for O’Mullane (61).

Kerry: K Robak (Dr Crokes); D Mulvihill (Tarbert), G Evans (Keel), M Lynch (Milltown/Castlemaine); S Ó Cúinn (An Ghaeltacht), A Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht), P Walsh (Listowel Emmets); E Boyle (Ballyduff), K Dennehy (Cordal); D Kirby (Austin Stacks), G White (John Mitchels), J O’Sullivan (Kenmare Shamrocks); R Carroll (Austin Stacks), T Kennedy (Kerins O’Rahilly’s), P Lane (Austin Stacks).

Subs: D Stack (Kilcummin) for Mulvihill (20 mins, inj); M McKivergan (Ballymacelligott) for Carroll (HT); M O’Carroll (Dr Crokes) for Dennehy (31); J Joy (Ballymacelligott) for O’Sullivan (40); B Kelliher (Dr Crokes) for Lane (53).

Referee: E Morrissey (Waterford).