Cork 3-17 Kerry 2-9
THE Rebels are rising and the lights are currently stuck on red – and that usually means danger.
Cork sounded an emphatic warning that they will be a greater force to be reckoned with in this year’s championship than might have been anticipated when they gave Kerry a solid thumping at Páirc Uí Rinn this Sunday afternoon.
To be perfectly honest, their 11-point victory margin could have been considerably more dramatic as they dominated Eamonn Fitzmaurice’s side in all sectors of the field, looking far sharper and far fitter than the reigning All-Ireland champions.
A whirlwind start by Cork saw them completely boss the opening half and two goals from John O’Rourke and another from Colm O’Neill gave them a commanding five-point lead at the break – which could have been a great deal more.
That said, Kerry also had their chances in the first half and they took many of them well, with Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh both finding the net, but they were always chasing the hosts who has built up a 3-7 to 2-5 cushion at the break.
It was more of the same on the restart with Cork piling on the pressure – and the scores – with both Colm O’Neill and substitute Donnacha O’Connor causing consternation and scoring for fun as the game progressed.
Barry John Keane, back in favour after being excluded from the start against Dublin last weekend, played as if he had a point to prove and with a five points personal tally – three from play – he was easily Kerry’s best player on a day when little went right for them.
The influential Paul Murphy was black carded and that didn’t help Kerry’s cause.
Strangely hesitant in front of the posts and always playing second fiddle at midfield, where Moran and Maher struggled apart from a few brief spurts, Kerry were constantly being forced into a rearguard action and, on the day, they just had now answer to an impressive Cork side that played with purpose and that Leeside swagger that has been missing for a while.
After Kerry won the All-Ireland championship in such sensational circumstances last September, following a miserable league campaign, team boss Eamonn Fitzmaurice said the heavy league defeat to Cork in Tralee along the way was the turning point of the season that inspired the All-Ireland win.
In that respect, let’s hope history can repeat itself this time out.
And while the NFC title is still very much there for the taking, Kerry will really need to get back in the groove for their upcoming clashes with Monaghan, Donegal and Tyrone.
Kerry: B Kealy; P Kilkenny, M Griffin, F Fitzgerald, J Lyne, J Sherwood, P Murphy; A Maher, D Moran; M Geaney, B Sheehan, J Buckley, S O’Brien (0-1), K Donaghy (1-0), BJ Keane (0-5).
Subs: K Young for Murphy (black card); P Crowley for Sherwood; T Walsh (1-0) for Sheehan; A Fitzgerald (0-2) for Maher; S Enright for F Fitzgerald; P O’Donoghue for Moran.
Cork: K O’Halloran; J Loughrey, S O’Donoghue, Tom Clancy, Tomás Clancy, M Shields, J O’Sullivan; E Cadogan, F Gould; K O’Driscoll (0-3), J O’Rourke (2-0), C O’Driscoll (0-1), C O’Neill (1-6), M Collins, B Hurley (0-2).
Subs: D O’Connor (0-4) for O’Rourke; C Dorman (0-1) for Tomás Clancy; P Kerrigan for C O’Driscoll; J Hayes for O’Neill; D Goulding for Hurley; N Galvin for Tom Clancy.
Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)
