Kerry 0-15 Cork 0-16
Cork received the perfect tonic ahead of the start of their Division 2 league campaign as a second-half comeback saw them retain the McGrath Cup following a 0-16 to 0-15 win over Kerry in Killarney.
For the Kingdom, it's the first time they’ve failed to win a competition they’ve entered since being knocked out of the 2024 All-Ireland race at the hands of Armagh – but it’s unlikely to dent their confidence too much on a day when David Clifford made his seasonal bow.
For most of the contest, that first outing for the Fossa man looked set to be capped off with his latest piece of silverware, but the Rebels outscored them 0-13 to 0-07 from the 26th minute onwards.
John Cleary’s side have now completed a three in-a-row in the Munster pre-season competition, albeit the tournament wasn’t played last year.
That outcome looked unlikely as Kerry eventually took charge in the first half at Fitzgerald Stadium.
After an even opening eight minutes that saw the sides share four points, Kerry kicked into gear with Seán O’Shea raising two white flags as well as an orange one after Tony Brosnan had edged them ahead.
Stephen Sherlock stopped the bleeding with a Cork free 25 minutes in, but Dylan Casey replied instantly as Kerry led 0-08 to 0-03 approaching the break.
Mark Cronin and Clifford exchanged frees before Colm O’Callaghan finished the first-half scoring – Kerry leading 0-09 to 0-05.
The gap was down to three on the resumption as eventual match winner Chris Óg Jones pointed, and O’Callaghan followed up with another in the 37th minute.
The in-form Brosnan – who finished the competition with 1-20 in two games - then moved through the gears to ensure Kerry kept their noses ahead.
He opened Kerry’s second-half scoring before Seán McDonnell and Brian Hurley, from a two-point free, levelled the scores at 0-10 to 0-10. Brosnan then landed his own two-pointer to put O’Connor’s side back in front.
Mattie Taylor, an early second-half substitute, brought the Rebels within one in the 51st minute before Ruairí Murphy edged the gap back out to two again.
McDonnell grabbed his second at the other end before another two-point Hurley free put Coek ahead for the first time since Luke Fahy’s opener in the second minute.
Brosnan and Killian Spillane put Kerry back in front with a point apiece but Hurley levelled it up again as the match drifted into additional time and it Jones who settled it to secure some January joy for the visitors.
A fine workout before more important league matters with Kerry hosting Roscommon in Division 1 at the same venue next Sunday while Cork start their Division 2 campaign at home to Cavan on the same day.
