A general view of Austin Stack Park. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
EirGrid Munster Under 20 Football Championship
Cork 5-18 Clare 0-13
Kerry 1-15 Tipperary 1-10
By Stephen Barry
Cork steamrolled Clare with five goals to book their place in next Wednesday’s Munster U20 football final against table-toppers Kerry.
The Rebels were expected to progress at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and they showed no mercy in building up a 4-11 to 0-4 half-time lead before closing out a 20-point victory.
Captain Hugh O’Connor finished with 2-2 while there was a goal apiece for inside forwards Ed Myers (1-4), Ross Corkery (1-3), and Dara Sheedy (1-2).
Cork made six changes from their loss to the Kingdom, including a debut for former Cork City goalkeeper Aaron Mannix.
It took the hosts just 20 seconds to take the lead, Sam Copps with the point, and their first goal arrived in the ninth minute. Corkery’s handpass drifted across the square and O’Connor was in the right place to palm in. 1-4 to no score.
Seán McMahon got Clare on the scoreboard but the Rebels hit back with another goal; O’Connor’s long delivery collected by Corkery who smartly rounded the keeper.
They kept motoring with a terrific point from Sheedy, after a pair of Dan Twomey block downs, before the corner-back came up for one of his own.
Cian Corry denied Jack O’Neill a goal and Clare countered for a sublime outside-of-the-boot score by Aaron Kelly.
But Cork finished with 2-1 in the space of three minutes. First, Sheedy’s long ball was rocketed to the roof of the net by Myers. Then, Rory O’Shaughnessy won a throw ball after a Clare kick-out didn’t travel outside the D and O’Connor applied the maximum punishment. The difference was 19 points at half-time.
Clare almost struck for a couple of goals but Mannix tipped over Luke Pyne’s punched effort and saved from Tom Curran. In between, Twomey got back to block Daire Culligan from close range. Their top scorer was free-taker Darren Keane, who ended with 0-5.
Cork had the greater cutting edge and when they got their chance, Sheedy found the bottom corner from Gearóid Kearney’s pass. He later had a goal ruled out for a foul on Corry, who then saved from Corkery.
Meanwhile, Kerry copper-fastened their place in the decider with a 1-15 to 1-10 success against Tipperary at Austin Stack Park.
The Kingdom made five changes from their victory on Leeside and edged an even first half by 0-5 to 0-4 in which goalkeeper Michael Tansley made a pair of saves from Joseph Lawrence and Shane Ryan.
Opposition keeper Robbie McGrath accounted for half of Tipp’s total by converting those 45s.
The hosts began to stretch away in the third quarter with back-to-back points from star substitute Cormac Dillon before full-forward Tomás Kennedy goaled, taking his tally to 1-2.
Substitutes Luke Crowley, Eddie Healy, and Dillon, who ended with four points, extended their lead to nine, 1-12 to 0-6, before Tipp came with a late rally.
Orrin Jones took his contribution to four points, while substitute Daithí Hogan buried a stoppage-time consolation goal to add to an earlier point.