A stunning goal from midfielder Joe O'Connor in extra-time saw Kerry squeeze through to this year’s Munster final with a two point win over rivals Cork.
It was the visitors who came out of the traps looking sharper and some fine scores from Paul Geaney and David Clifford had Kerry seven points to the good with five minutes remaining in the first half.
A hugely impressive conclusion to the half from Cork and four points without reply incredibly saw them just two points adrift at the break.
The two pointers gave Cork real belief throughout the game and a Brian Hurley two pointer minutes into the second half once again had the sides level with Cork growing in confidence.
The game swung one way and then the next for the remainder of the half and for large periods of extra time too with nothing between the sides throughout.
A red card on both sides for Paudie Clifford and Sean Brady only added to the drama by the Lee in a game that didn’t lack a thing.
In the end it was a game that was cruel for any side to lose but it had to be settled and it was Kerry’s goals and efficiency coming down the straight that proved the difference.
Kerry looked sharp from the off with Ruari Murphy pointing inside the opening minute before three David Clifford points from play in the opening ten minutes got in quick got the Fossa man warmed up on a miserable night by the Lee.
David Clifford's pace towards goal was far too much for Daniel O’Mahony with Clifford advancing towards goal before fisting his first score five minutes in.
A fine solo effort from Dylan Geany either side of two further soft David Clifford scores had Kerry orchestrating proceedings with just ten minutes on the clock.
A perfectly weighted score from distance by Paudie Clifford showed off Kerry’s ability to kick scores of all types.
A struggling Cork side got just their third point of the game on fifteen minutes. Brian O’Driscoll decided to take matters into his own hands with a wonderfully taken in swinging two pointer from distance. A much needed score for the home supporters.
David Clifford had the easiest score of the night when Colm O’Callaghan slipped with the ball in hand in his own half allowing the Fossa man to snatch the ball into space before tapping over another uncontested score and extend Kerrys lead to five.
Cork’s best period of the half came in the twenty fifth minute when they scored four without reply. The roving Colm O’Callaghan split the posts moments before Brian O’Driscoll pointed two sublime scores, one a curling two pointer to narrow the gap to just three with five minutes of the half to play.
Mark Cronin followed the brilliant passage of play from Cork with a forty five to leave just two between the sides at half time.
Contrasting feelings for both sides at the break. Kerry started the game like a train and looked very sharp in attack building up a seven point lead on the half hour mark but a really impressive conclusion to the half for the Rebels had them back within just two at the break.
Cork’s end of half momentum continued early in the second and a Brian Hurley two pointer led to the loudest roar of the evening with his score drawing the sides level for the first time since the sixth minute.
Saturday's Football Championship Recap
Sean O’Shea was introduced at half time by Jack O’Connor and his quick thinking ahead of O’Driscoll earned him his first score of the game and Kerry’s first score in twelve minutes five minutes into the second half. Paul Geaney’s third from play was followed by a quick Clifford combo and all of a sudden the Kerry lead was back out to four with twenty minutes remaining.
Despite the best efforts of the home side once more, it was Kerry that looked the more dangerous in attack and in possession and Paul Geaney had the ball in the back of the net just before the hour mark. A lethal break forward from Kerry saw them get the ball from Shane Murphy at one end to the unmarked Geaney at the other in a matter of seconds which left seven between the sides.
Cork to their credit didn’t once allow their heads to drop and got rightly stuck into Kerry trailing by seven. Their cause was helped on the hour mark with Paudie Clifford shown a straight red card for a high challenge.
Another lethal blitz in a matter of moments from the Rebels had them back within three inside the following two minutes. Two consecutive two pointers from Sean McDonnell and Cathail O’Mahony before a green flag from Chris Og Jones amazingly had the sides level again with just five minutes remaining in the game. 1-17 apiece.
The momentum was well and truly with Cork and with the fans in full voice, Ruari Deane put them in front for the first time in the game with three minutes left to play. Their joy was to be short lived though as a Sean O’Shea goal swung the drama back in favour of the league champions once more with the game into additional time.
Cork, once again having looked to be dead and buried came back to the well so impressively with time against them and points from Mark Cronin and Eoghan McSweeney meant we were going to extra-time.
Cork could smell blood as extra-time started in Páirc Uí Chaoimh but they were dealt a major blow for the remainder of the game when Seán Brady was shown a harsh red card and sent to the sidelines for what was deemed to be a high shoulder on Kerry midfielder Joe O’Connor but looked more like a challenge around the waist.
A harsh call on Cork but they continued to take the game to Kerry. After such a high scoring game in normal time, the first half of extra-time saw just three scores between the sides with a David Clifford two pointer the pick of the lot and the difference between the sides at the break.
The narrative in the game was repeating itself once more in the second half of extra time as Cork showed drive and a real fearlessness as they tore into the Kerry rearguard and enjoyed it.
A Chris Óg Jones point and another two pointer for Cork, this time from McSweeney amazingly swung the game the way of Cork once more in an enthralling evening of entertainment.
Kerry, like Cork had shown so often throughout the game never panicked and responded strongly to conceding. They were back level in an instant through Killian Spillane.
With five minutes remaining Kerry midfielder O’Connor stunned the Páirc with a rocket of a shot smashing into the roof of the net to edge Kerry back ahead by two with three minutes to play. Despite how the game had unfolded, this one felt like a killer of a goal that would be very hard to come back from with time now not on the side of Cork.
Substitute Conor Cahalane had a gilt-edged goal chance immediately from the kick out but dragged his effort wide of the far post.
Cork had two further chances to level the game deep into injury time through Cathail O’Mahony but both went wide. Two wides late on in a half that saw Cork hit nine wides in total against Kerry’s zero.
Cork will take so much encouragement from this display. Kerry will be relieved to be heading home still in the Munster Championship.
Cork: Michéal Aodh Martin; Sean Brady, Daniel O’Mahony, Tommy Walsh; Brian O’Driscoll (0-05 2tp), Rory Maguire, Matty Taylor; Ian Maguire (0-01), Colm O’Callaghan; Paul Walsh, Sean Powter, Séan McDonnell (0-03, 1tp); Mark Cronin (0-03 1’45, 1f), Brian Hurley (0-03, 1tp, 1f), Chris Óg Jones (1-03, 1f).
Subs: Maurice Shanley for Tommy Walsh (14), Ruairi Deane (0-01) for Sean Powter (47), Eoghan McSweeny (0-03, 1tp)for Paul Walsh (52), Cathail O’Mahony (0-02, 1tp) for Brian Hurley (59), Neil Lordan for Maurice Shanley (70), Sean Walsh for Ian Maguire (75), Conor Cahalane (0-01) for Sean McDonnell (79), Hugh O’Connor for Mark Cronin (80), Darragh Cashman for Ruari Deane (83)
Kerry: Shane Ryan, Paul Murphy, Jason Foley, Dylan Casey; Brian O Beaglaoich, Gavin White, Tadhg Morley for Tom O’Sullivan; Joe O’Connor (1-01), Barry Dan O’Sullivan (0-01); Ruari Murphy (0-01), Paudie Clifford (0-02), Graham O’Sullivan; David Clifford (0-09, 1tp, 1f), Paul Geaney (1-03), Dylan Geaney (0-02).
Subs: Shane Murphy for Shane Ryan (27), Damien Bourke for Paul Murphy (h/t), Sean O’Shea (1-01) for Ruari Murphy (h/t), Tony Brosnan for Paul Geaney (60), Sean O’Brien for Barry Dan O’Sullivan (65), Killian Spillane (0-01) for Dylan Geaney (73), Michael Burns for Graham O’Sullivan (77), Armin Heinrich for Brian O Beaglaoich (80)
Referee: Barry Tiernan (Dublin)
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