Cork crushed Kerry's Under-20s by 6-19 to 2-09 in the first round of the Munster football pre-season McGrath Cup at Austin Stack Park in Tralee this afternoon.
Former All-Ireland winner and AFL star Ciaran Sheehan (29) made his first appearance for the Rebels in over six years after returning from Australia in the autumn and scored a point.
The star of the show though was U-20 All-Ireland winner Damien Gore, who bagged 3-05 in Cork's 22-point win over John Sugrue's youngsters. The All-Ireland finalists' senior side are on holiday in Thailand.
Cork lost last year's Championship debutant Nathan Walsh to a serious looking hamstring injury early in the second half.
Clare 1-3 Limerick 0-6 at HT in the McGrath Cup opener. Keelan Sexton with Clare's goal from play with Eoin Cleary hitting 0-3 from placed balls. Five wides for Clare in tricky shooting conditions with a crossfield wind in Rathkeale #GAA pic.twitter.com/9LlTp7KHOW
— The Clare Champion (@ClareChampion) December 29, 2019
Division 4 side Limerick were two-point winners over Division 2 Clare on a 0-14 to 2-06 scoreline at Mick Neville Park in Rathkeale.
The sides were level at the break, 0-06 to 1-03, Keelan Sexton converting a penalty for Clare.
Sexton added another for the Banner in the second half but 10 wides proved costly for Colm Collins side.
Billy Lee's men scored four of the last five points, Jamie Lee (4f) taking his tally to 0-07 and Limerick goalkeeper Donal O'Sullivan pulled off two excellent late saves to seal the points for the Treaty men.
On Thursday night, Cork host Tipperary in Mallow and Limerick travel to Dungarvan to face Waterford.
In the only game of the second round of the Munster Hurling League, Cork made it two wins from two with a 1-17 to 1-13 victory over Waterford in Dungarvan.
A goal from Patrick Curran (1-06, 6f) gave the hosts an early platform but Cork drew level and Tommy O'Connell's goal in the 26th minute, followed by first two of three points from play by Jack O'Connor helped the visitors into a 1-10 to 1-05 interval lead.
Waterford did manage to cut the gap to a single point with ten minutes remaining but Conor Lehane's accuracy from frees ensured the Rebels closed it out.
The result makes Waterford's remaining game with Kerry a dead rubber and Cork will now face the winner of next Sunday's clash between Clare and Limerick in the final on 12 January.
