Kerry are the 2023 Munster U20 football champions after a comprehensive 2-12 to 1-06 victory over Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The Kingdom were led by William Shine, who kicked over six points against the Rebels in their own back yard in front of a crowd totalling 3,025.
Kerry went ahead after just 25 seconds when Jack Clifford set up Cian McMahon to score the opening goal. This massively contributed to Tomás Ó Sé’s team taking a seven-point lead with just fourteen minutes played.
This gave Kerry the luxury of pulling back and letting Cork have the ball. They gave no clear route to goal for the Rebels, who could only get one score from play during this period.
Hugh O’Connor was tasked with keeping them in the final with frees, and the full forward from Newmarket only missed one.
His opposite number, Shine, hardly put a foot wrong as he scored four points in the first half, with just two of those coming from frees. The only other player to raise a white flag in a green and gold jersey was Aaron O’Shea, and that went over seconds after McMahon hit the net.
When Cork did get through, three separate goal chances left the Rebels red faced as, on each occasion, they watched the ball roll narrowly wide at the City End.
Kerry didn’t seem to mind as they sprinted ahead and were now jogging along with the pace that had already set. Their work was more or less done as they went into half-time with a 2-05 to 0-04 lead.
The Kingdom added to that with Shine scoring from open play with just a minute played after the restart.
Cork’s moment, that looked like it would turn the game, came from O’Connor twisting into space and beating the Kerry goalkeeper. Just as the ball landed on the line, Andrew Moynihan blocked it and scooped it up. Another goal chance fell to Liam O’Connell and this was well saved by Kieran Mackessy.
It did change things, it seemed to rubber stamp Kerry’s title as they were leading 2-09 to 0-06 at the time. Eoghan Nash had a similar moment in front of the posts, except his driven shot rolled wide.
These shots were seldom during the second half, as Kerry compressed the space so well that Cork could barely get beyond the 40-metre line.
Kerry would have got a fourth 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.
A goal for Niall Kelly softened the blow for Cork supporters, on a night that saw Kerry win back-to-back Munster championships in their own stadium.
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 (0-1), Hugh O’Connor (0-3, 3f), Richard O’Sullivan, Peader O’Rourke, Olan Corcoran, Tom Cunningham.
Subs: Eoghan Nash for Dore (25), Niall Kelly (0-2) for O’Driscoll (HT), Ross Corkery for O’Rourke (40), Michael Quirke for O’Mahony (46), Eoin de Burca for Cunningham (51),
Kerry: Kieran Mackessy, Cian O’Donoghue, Andrew Moynihan, Joey Nagle (0-1), Killian O Sullivan, Armin Heinrich, Paudie O Leary, Killian Burke (1-0), Caolán O’Connell, Thomas O’Donnell, Cian McMahon (1-0), Keith Evans (0-2), Jack Clifford, William Shine (0-5, 2f), Aaron O Shea (0-1).
Subs: Luke Crowley (0-2) 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),
Referee: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick)
