EIRGRID MUNSTER UNDER 21 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

Cork 3-9 Kerry 1-14

Substitute Cian Dorgan was the Cork hero as they won a sixth Eirgrid Munster U21FC title in the last eight years, seeing off Kerry in a pulsating clash at Austin Stack Park in Tralee on Thursday evening.

Having led by six points at one stage in the first half, Cork found themselves reeled in by their hosts, who hit the front thanks to a rasping Mark O’Connor goal early in the second half. That made it 1-9 to 2-5 and Dara Roche’s point extended the lead.  Cork, playing with the wind in the second period, didn’t wilt.

There was a point between the side, 1-11 to 2-7, after Peter Kelleher pointed for Cork and then they hit the front again as man of the match Seán White took a superb handpass from captain Stephen Cronin before crashing a shot in off the crossbar.

Kerry almost replied in kind immediately when Roche’s shot beat Anthony Casey in the Cork goal, but Kieran Histon made a vital block.

Micheál Burns cut the gap to a point, but Cork sub Stephen Sherlock cancelled that out, however Kerry were level in injury time as Jack Savage and Tony Brosnan had points.

Extra time loomed, but Dorgan found space on the right for Cork and sent over a booming effort. Another sub, Dan Ó Duinnín might have made the game safe, but his shot came back off the crossbar and fell into Kerry goalkeeper Eoghan O’Brien’s hands.

However, there wasn’t time to launch a game-saving attack as referee Seán Lonergan blew the whistle and Cork were champions.

In the first half, Kerry had started well, but Brian Coakley’s goal put Cork 1-2 to 0-3 ahead and it got even better when Seán Powter made it 2-4 to 0-4.

That was in the 19th minute but Cork wouldn’t score again in the first half and Kerry had cut the gap to three by half-time. Kerry started the second half well, but it was to be Cork’s night.

Scorers for Cork: B Coakley 1-1 (1f), S White, S Powter 1-0 each, M Hurley, R Harkin 0-2 each, P Kelleher, C Dorgan 0-1 S Sherlock (0-1f), S O'Donoghue (1f) 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kerry: J Savage 0-5 (4fs), D Roche 0-3, M O’Connor 1-0, K Spillane 0-2, M Burns, B Ó Seanacháin, É Ó Conchúir, T Brosnan 0-1 each.

Cork: A Casey; M McSweeney, J Mullins, D Quinn; K Flahive, S Cronin, K Histon; S White, S O’Leary; S O’Donoghue, S Powter, R Harkin; B Coakley, P Kelleher, M Hurley.

Subs: S Sherlock for Powter (half-time), D Ó Duinnín for O’Donoghue (46), C Dorgan for B Coakley (51), C Kiely for Flahive (52, black card), E Lavers for O’Leary (53).

Kerry: E O’Brien; T O’Sullivan, J Foley, TL O’Sullivan; G White, B Ó Beaglaioch, M Flaherty; B O’Sullivan, M O’Connor; B Ó Seanacháin, M Burns, É Ó Conchúir; D Roche, K Spillane, J Savage.

Subs: G Horan for Ó Seanacháin (half-time), D Foran for O’Connor (42), C Coffey for Ó Beaglaioch (43), J Kelly for Ó Conchúir (48), T Brosnan for Roche (56), F Clifford for White (57).

Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary).