EirGrid Munster U20 Football Championship Final

Kerry 2-12 Cork 1-6

By Dylan O’Connell at Páirc Uí Chaoimh

Kerry have retained the Munster U20 football title after a comprehensive 2-12 to 1-6 victory over Cork in front of 3,025 spectators at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Monday evening.

The Kingdom totally controlled this final against their old rivals, with Niall Kelly’s late goal polishing the score on a night that saw William Shine continue to impress as he kicked over 0-6 for Kerry.

Tomas O’Se’s team wasted no time in asserting themselves as they broke down the right wing from throw-in and Jack Clifford set up Cian McMahon to score the opening goal with just 25 seconds on the clock.

Shine then put over a free and The Kingdom went four up, and Cork responded by pushing up in numbers.

The best they could do was four points in the entire first half, with three of those coming from frees that Hugh O’Connor put over at the City End. Paddy O’Driscoll went into the half-time break as the only player in a red jersey to put the ball over from open play, but that wasn’t the main source of the Rebels frustration at the break.

Three goal chances were put wide, which forced Cork to move further and further up as they looked to get back into the game. This played into Kerry’s hands, as they often played with 13 players inside their own half during the opening 30 minutes.

Shine personally embodied the Kingdom’s cause to win back to back Munster titles, something that goes through his entire run. The full-forward went into the final as top scorer and he finished the first half with four points, and half of those came from frees.

The Kingdom went into the break with a seven point cushion and Shine picked up where he left by scoring from open play after the restart. They would have got a third goal if it wasn’t for Dan Twomey getting in the way of a counter-attack, with the corner back intercepting a pass intended for McMahon.

The best move that Kerry put together involved a succession of passes that involved Keith Evans and Thomas O’Connell. Joey Nagle finished this off with his left boot and that gave his county a nine point cushion.

Andrew Moynihan blocked a shot on the line for Kerry and Eoghan Nash narrowly hit the ball wide. The near misses extinguished any flame that the Rebels had as Kerry comfortably saw out this Munster final.

Scorers for Kerry: William Shine 0-6 (2fs), Killian Burke 1-0, Cian McMahon 1-0 Keith Evans 0-2, Luke Crowley 0-2, Joey Nagle 0-1, Aaron O'Shea 0-1.

Scorers for Cork: Niall Kelly 1-2, Hugh O’Connor 0-3 (3fs), Paddy O’Driscoll 0-1.

Kerry: Kieran Mackessy, Cian O’Donoghue, Andrew Moynihan, Joey Nagle, Killian O Sullivan, Armin Heinrich, Paudie O Leary, Killian Burke, Caolán O’Connell, Thomas O’Donnell, Cian McMahon, Keith Evans, Jack Clifford, William Shine, Aaron O Shea.

Subs: Luke Crowley for O’Shea (41), Dara O’Callaghan for O’Donoghue (47), Cian Lynch for O’Sullivan (53), Cian Foley for O’Donnell (56), Rob Stack for Clifford (59).

Cork: Callum Dungan; Dan Twomey, Jacob O’Driscoll, Darragh Murray, Thomas O’Mahony, Tommy Walsh, Sean Brady, Liam O’Connell, Sean Dore, Paddy O’Driscoll, Hugh O’Connor. Richard O’Sullivan, Peader O’Rourke, Olan Corcoran, Tom Cunningham.

Subs: Eoghan Nash for Dore (25), Niall Kelly for O’Driscoll (HT), Ross Corkery for O’Rourke (40), Michael Quirke for O’Mahony (46), Eoin de Burca for Cunningham (51).

Referee: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick).