Cork minors navigate chaos to beat Kerry in rain-soaked Munster final thriller

Cork claimed their first Munster MFC title since 2022 with a two-point extra-time victory over Kerry

Cork captain Joe Miskella lifts the cup with teammates after their Munster MFC final victory over Kerry. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Munster MFC final: Cork 1-13 Kerry 0-14 (AET)

Cork got there eventually. They should have got there sooner. Their inability to do so lengthened and extended an enthralling Munster minor final spectacle.

Critical observations such as that contained in the opening paragraph will be kept to a minimum. This marathon night was not for finding fault. The enjoyment was too much. All credit to the kids in both corners for the panicked theatre they plated up.

The two-point extra-time victory delivers Cork a first Munster MFC title since 2022 and 32nd overall.

Across minor and U20, this dancing in the rain result delivers an end to seven Munster final defeats to the green and gold.

Extra-time was the result of a welter of final quarter excitement. The multitude of mistakes and missed chances on both sides kept ratcheting up the drama. This was absorbing for the unpredictability of every single play. The age of the actors constantly revealed itself.

Little was to be gained from scalding a 15, 16 or 17-year-old for desperately poor decision-making. The smarter and more mature move was to sit back and enjoy the chaos the poor decisions fed.

Ben Hegarty became the first Cork forward to find the target four minutes into the second half. Jacob Barry became the second Cork forward to find the target two minutes later when collecting and charging off an Eoghan Ahern delivery before superbly drilling to the net.

Cork’s 18 minute first-half barren spell had a second half relative. 16 minutes without a score followed the green flag that shoved them into a 1-6 to 0-7 lead and in front for the first time in proceedings.

Darragh Keane’s second orange flag of the second half brought the young visitors level at 1-6 to 0-9 on 43 minutes. Fionn O’Dowd and outstanding centre-back Cian Stack subsequently shoved Kerry two in front.

The final 13 minutes or so belonged to those in red. They had ample opportunity to put both hands on the silverware, even if they were coming from a position of two in arrears.

Ben Hegarty levelled. Sub Cillian Moynihan grabbed the lead again for the green and gold. Tom Whooley levelled once more. His white flag could so easily have been green.

Injury-time was only arriving. Incredulous and inexplicable that no winner was found. A buffet of chances went unclaimed.

Cork continued to dominate in extra-time. Cork midfielder Kieran O'Shea continued to pull down possession from the wet sky. Cork continued to spurn an endless amount of opportunities.

A Rory Twohig free and Riley O’Donovan point, against a Fionn O’Dowd free, had the home side 1-11 to 0-13 ahead at the short turnaround.

What had been left behind, though, was five wides and four more point attempts that either landed short or were smothered. To give him his dues, Kerry No.6 Stack produced three blockdowns in those 10 minutes alone.

Another free from goalkeeper Twohig and a further placed-ball from sub Donal Herlihy created a gap of three on 73 minutes. It was Cork's largest lead of the evening.

Kerry sub Timmy Kennelly pulled one back. They pulled no more back. They had been second chair for going on half an hour. They eventually fell. Fallen also was their four-in-a-row bid.

The core first-half stats were hard to make sense of.

Cork did not score until the 18th minute. Not a single one of their forwards raised a flag across the entirety of the half. Their top-scorer was goalkeeper Twohig.

And yet for all that, they found themselves level at 0-5 apiece at the break.

Cork’s issue early doors was their decision-making in the final third. Too often the wrong and most difficult option was taken. Too often a player in a more advantageous position was overlooked.

By the end of the first quarter, Keith Ricken’s youngsters had accumulated four wides, one further effort short, and another blocked. By the end of the half, their wide count had gone to six. It had gone to 15 turning around for the second period of extra-time.

Midfielder O’Shea opened Cork’s account on 18 minutes. The hosts were within the minimum three minutes later. Twohig temporarily parked his goalkeeping duties to come forward and nail a cracking two-point free from underneath the main stand.

Kerry’s first-half story was the direct opposite. Fionn O’Dowd, Lúc Mac Gearailt, and Darragh Keane (free) propelled them three in front by the fifth minute.

Marc Ó Sé’s team, which showed six changes from the side hammered by their final opponents a fortnight ago, could have had two goals in the next five minutes. Instead, they’d manage just two points across the remaining 26 minutes of the half.

Cillian O’Donoghue was the first to be denied by Cork No.1 Twohig. A minute or so later, he got down smartly to deny Darragh Keane.

Referee Gary Twomey, who had a much shakier outing than a lot of the teenagers he was officiating on, incorrectly awarded a penalty following the second of these saves. His charge against Twohig was that he had picked the ball off the ground. And while the charge was correct, the punishment was not. A word from a more senior linesman saw the penalty downgraded to a free, which Darragh Keane converted for a four-point lead.

Danny Lane’s point, 14 minutes later, was all they’d muster from the ninth-minute to half-time. They caught whatever affliction was miring their opponents for the first 17 minutes.

As well as the green flags not taken, Kerry kicked four first-half wides, were blocked, were half-blocked, and were short.

Cork won by 10 when they met in Tralee two weeks ago. Same outcome here, different contest altogether. A genuinely memorable one. You’d do well to find a single soul among the 2,066 crowd who’d disagree.

Scorers for Cork: R Twohig (0-4, tp free, 0-2 frees); B Hegarty (0-3, 0-1 free); J Barry (1-0); R O’Donovan, E Lynch, K O’Shea, C Murphy, T Whooley, D Herlihy (0-1 each).

Scorers for Kerry: D Keane (0-6, 2 tp frees, 0-2 frees); F O’Dowd (0-3, 0-1 free); C Stack, L Mac Gearailt, D Lane, C Moynihan, T Kennelly (0-1 each).

CORK: R Twohig (Kilmeen); C Garvey (St Finbarr’s), G Oronsaye (Liscarroll/Churchtown Gaels), R McCormack (Midleton); É Lynch (Ballincollig), C Downing (Adrigole), C Murphy (Barryroe); D O’Sullivan (Erin’s Own), K O’Shea (Urhan); E Ahern (Carrigaline), B Hegarty (Ballinora), J Miskella (Ballincollig); T Whooley (Clonakilty), J Barry (Aghinagh), A O’Herlihy (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: D Herlihy (Shamrocks) for O’Herlihy, P Kelly (Naomh Abán) for Garvey (both HT); M Corkery (Nemo Rangers) for O’Sullivan (40); R O’Donovan (Barryroe) for Barry (50); D O’Mahony (Newcestown) for Miskella (53); J Miskella for Downing (77); M Walsh (Bride Rovers) for Whooley, M Power (Charleville) for Lynch (both 80) 

KERRY: S Sargent (John Mitchels); J Breen (Listowel Emmets), E Mangan (Austin Stacks), C Clifford (Dr Crokes); M Corridon (Ardfert), C Stack (Kilcummin), D Murphy (Listry); M Ó Sé (An Ghaeltacht), J Collins (Ballymacelligott); L Mac Gearailt (An Ghaeltacht), D Keane (Kilcummin), C O’Donoghue (Listry); D Lane (Austin Stacks), F O’Dowd (Dingle), D Laide (Finuge).

Subs: M Somers (St Senan’s) for Collins (40); T Slattery (Na Gaeil) for O’Donoghue (43); C Moynihan (Rathmore) for Lane (53); C Fitzgerald (Listry) for Laide (55); S Scroope (Legion) for Mac Gearailt (65); D Lane for Keane (70); T Kennelly (Listowel Emmets) for Ó Sé (70).

Referee: G Twomey (Clare).