Ciarán O'Sullivan was the toast of Cork this evening as his dramatic injury-time point booked 14-man Cork a place in the final of the EirGrid Munster U-20 football championship after a pulsating clash with their great rivals, Kerry.
Kerry seemed to be in big trouble as they broke for water in the second-half, trailing by six points but then a penalty from Paul O’Shea gave them a lifeline. Cork’s Colm O’Donovan picked up his second yellow card for the incident and when O’Shea then added a point, the momentum seemed to be changing.
O’Shea then knocked over another point as Kerry took over in all areas of the field as Cork began to tire. Sean Quilter levelled matters deep into injury-time but there was still time for one more attack.
The sides were level twice inside the opening eight minutes with Cork’s Colin Walsh and and David Buckley trading scores with Kerry’s Conor Hayes and Dylan Geaney.
Dara Dorgan and Conor Corbett then gave Cork a two-point advantage that they were full value for before Kerry came alive as the water break approached. Geaney tapped over another free before Darragh Lyne scorched through the Cork defence for a cracking goal following an excellent pass from Eoghan O’Sullivan.
Geaney put a goal between the side, 1-04 to 0-04, on the resumption before Jack Cahalane, fresh from his cameo in last weekend’s U-20 hurling final, levelled the game for the third time, finishing smartly after being but through by Cork captain Brian Hayes.
Then Lyne turned provide for the Kingdom, slipping Geaney through for the game’s third goal as the attendance struggled to catch their breath.
The sides went tit-for-tat coming up to the break, with Kerry keeping the Rebels at arm’s length before Corbett gave the home side a 2-07 to 2-06 interval advantage when he billowed the net to bring his first-half tally to 1-3.
They continued to drive home their advantage on the resumption with points from Conor O’Hanlon, Buckley, Corbett and Adam Walsh-Murphy while Kerry’s sole score came from another Geaney free.
Then, Corbett slotted home his second goal and though Sean Quilter got one back for Kerry before the water-break, they seemed to be in big trouble as they trailed by 3-11 to 2-08.
However, there’s always a twist in the tale in this great rivalry and this time it came when Kilshannig’s O’Sullivan rescued a win from the jaws of a draw while writing his name into the folklore of this famous rivary.
Cork: Gavin Creedon; Colm O’Donovan, Diarmuid Phelan, Conor McGoldrick; Adam Walsh-Murphy (0-01), Tommy Walsh, Darragh Cashman; Brian Hayes, Niall Cashman; Conor Corbett(2-04, 2f), Jack Cahalane (1-00), Evan Cooke; Dara Dorgan (0-01, 1f), Colin Walsh (0-01), David Buckley (0-03).
Subs: Conor O’Hanlon (0-01) for C Walsh (29), Seán McDonnell for Dorgan (blood, 36-42), Seán O’Sullivan for O’Hanlon (inj, 38), Eoghan Nash for Dorgan (55), Neil Lordan for Phelan (inj, 55), Ciarán O’Sullivan (0-1) for Cooke (60), Darragh Holland for Walsh-Murphy (inj, 60).
Kerry: Mark Kelliher; Colm Moriarty, James McCarthy, Owen Fitzgerald; Dan Murphy, Eoghan O’Sullivan, Eoin Clifford; Darragh Lyne (1-00), Seán O’Brien; Tom Doyle, Dylan Geaney (1-04, 4f), Killian Falvey (0-01); Conor Hayes (0-01), Paul O’Shea (1-02, 1f), Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich (0-01).
Subs: Seán Quilter (0-02, 2f) for Hayes (38), Jack Keneally for Doyle (38), Alan Dineen for Moriarty (47), Patrick Darcy for Falvey (50), Paul Walsh for Ó Beaglaoich (58).
Referee: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick).
In the night's other semi-final, Tipperary edged Waterford to make their first underage provincial decider in six years.
The Déise took the game to their hosts at Semple Stadium and kicked the first four scores of the game.
Tipp found their feet, however,and the scores were level at 0-05 apiece at half-time.
When Tipperary scored four unanswered points of their own and Niall McSweeney received a black card it look liked Waterford were in trouble but in injury-time they were just a point down despite having missed two late goal chances.
Keith Grogan's second point then clinched what was a far from comfortable win for the Premier men.
