Kerry crowned Dalata Hotel Group Munster U20 Football Champions

Dalata Hotel Group Munster U20 Football Championship final

KERRY 3-14 (3-0-14) CORK 0-20 (0-4-12)

By Stephen Barry, Austin Stack Park

Kerry captain Paddy Lane rattled 2-4 before raising the Noel Walsh Cup after a battling three-point victory over Cork in front of 2,338 fans at Austin Stack Park.

The Kingdom’s fifth consecutive Munster U20 title, and 33rd in total, was achieved despite extended droughts in either half.

Crucially, Tomás Ó Sé’s side outscored the Rebels by 3-10 to 0-4 between the 15th and 42nd minutes as a late comeback came up just short.

Cork charged into this contest with ravenous tackling. While Lane won and converted the opening point, his only score from a free, wind-assisted Cork tagged on the next eight.

Danny Miskella punted a two-point free between the posts before launching a garryowen one-pointer. The centre-forward then teed up Seán Coakley to arrow over an orange flag.

Rickey Barrett added a pair and Mark O’Brien found himself in acres of space for another. With little over 13 minutes on the clock, the visitors led 0-8 to 0-1.

Tomás Kennedy started the turnaround with a hard-earned point after four sidesteps created the space.
They hit the net in the 16th minute. Killian Dennehy’s screen allowed Gearóid White to get free and he squared for Lane to palm home.

After four further points, via Máirtín McKivergan, a Kennedy brace, and Dennehy, Kerry had edged ahead.
Cork’s best chance for a momentum-breaker, a Dylan O’Neill goal opening, beat the keeper, but was taken off the line by Pa Walsh.

Coakley did get them on the board, after 13 scoreless minutes, but Kerry closed out the half with a Lane point followed by a sumptuous White goal. The young corner-forward exchanged passes with McKivergan and swerved his finish in off the far post; 2-7 to 0-9.

Some afters saw Kingdom full-forward Kennedy and Cork full-back Peter Rose sin-binned for the first 10 minutes of the second half.

Kerry won that spell by 0-4 to 0-2, including a standout White point after Evan Boyle’s towering mark. McKivergan also had a goal chance blocked by Frank Hurley, but pointed the 45.

The hosts leapt eight clear with a replica of the first goal involving Dennehy, White, and Lane, who applied another palmed finish for 3-11 to 0-12.

But Cork struck the next seven points as Kerry’s discipline faltered. A three-up breach and a 50-metre advancement for not handing back the ball were each punished by goalkeeper Billy Curtin for orange flags. When Coakley whizzed a shot just over the bar, the gap was back to one, 3-11 to 0-19.

Ronan Carroll snapped a 14-minute barren streak, cancelled out by Timmy Cullinane. But Kerry gutted it out with a stoppage-time brace as White’s free was followed by Lane’s clincher.

Scorers for Kerry: Paddy Lane 2-4 (0-1f); Gearóid White 1-2 (0-1f); Tomás Kennedy 0-3; Máirtín McKivergan (1 45), Killian Dennehy 0-2 each; Ronan Carroll 0-1.

Scorers for Cork: Billy Curtin (2 2ptf, 1 45), Seán Coakley (1 2pt, 1f) 0-5 each; Rickey Barrett 0-4; Danny Miskella 0-3 (1 2ptf); Mark O’Brien, Gary Holland, Timmy Cullinane 0-1 each.

KERRY: Kacper Robak; Gearóid Evans, Dara Stack, Michael Lynch; Pa Walsh, Aodhna Ó Beaglaoich, Eoin O’Flaherty; Daniel Kirby, Evan Boyle; Jack O’Sullivan, Máirtín McKivergan, Killian Dennehy; Gearóid White, Tomás Kennedy, Paddy Lane. Subs: Adam Byrne for Walsh (45), Ronan Carroll for McKivergan (49), Jack Joy for O’Sullivan (54), Isaac Brosnan for Lynch (55).

CORK: Billy Curtin; Frank Hurley, Peter Rose, Harry Wixted; Aaron Keane, Cathal McCarthy, Odhran Foley; Darragh Clifford, Mark O’Brien; Ben O’Connell, Danny Miskella, Gary Holland; Seán Coakley, Rickey Barrett, Dylan O’Neill. Subs: Denis O’Mullane for O’Neill (44), Timmy Cullinane for Holland (47), Luke Shorten for O’Connell (50), Adam Dineen for Foley (55), O’Neill for Miskella (57).

Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare).