Kerry 1-13 Cork 1-9
By Eoghan Cormican, Mallow
Kerry will meet Limerick in the McGrath Cup final after the Kingdom comfortably overcame Cork this afternoon.
Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s men led from pillar to post, with their advantage extending to eight points midway through the second-half.
Jack Savage was most impressive at full-forward, the young Kerins O’Rahilly’s player notching five from play.
He could have finished with a great tally, mind, but for a handful of efforts which he dropped into Ken O’Halloran’s gloves.
The visitors were well in control at the break leading by 1-8 to 0-5. That six-point advantage was in place as early as the 14th minute, with Kerry kicking the opening six points of the contest.
Jack Savage and James O’Donoghue inflicted most of the damage, the inside pair accounting for all but one of their opening flurry.
A Sean Powter interception set up Niall Coakley for Cork’s opener’s on 15 minutes.
The St Jude’s forward would kick four of their five first-half points.
The home side fell further behind when Ken O’Halloran upended Jack Barry on 20 minutes, James O’Donoghue slotting the resulting penalty into the bottom right corner of Ken O’Halloran’s goal.
Gary Murphy kicked two fine points when introduced for Cork in the second period, with Niall Coakley – he was again Cork’s most imposing forward – making amends for a 41st minute missed penalty when finishing to the net on 60 minutes.
It did little, however, to alter the final outcome.
Scorers for Kerry: J O’Donoghue (1-3, 0-1 free); J Savage (0-6, 0-1 free); BJ Keane (0-2, 0-1 free); B O’Sullivan, T O’Sullivan (0-1 each).
Scorers for Cork: N Coakley (1-5, 0-3 frees); G Murphy (0-3); B O’Driscoll (0-1);
Kerry: B Kelly; J Foley, M Griffin, K Young; B Ó Beaglaoich, P Crowley, T O’Sullivan; J Barry, T Morley; J Lyne, M Geaney, D Walsh; BJ Keane, J Savage, J O’Donoghue.
Subs: B O’Sullivan for Walsh (13 mins, inj); G Crowley for Ó Beaglaoich (43); R Shanahan for Foley (50); C Geaney for O’Donoghue (60); A Spillane for T O’Sullivan (61); D Daly for Geaney (68)
Cork: K O’Halloran; J Loughrey, K Histon, J McLoughlin; S Cronin, C Dorman, M Taylor; I Maguire, R Deane; S Powter, B O’Driscoll, M Collins; N Coakley, P Kelleher, K Davis.
Subs: A O’Donovan for Histon (20 mins); G Murphy for Powter (HT); R O’Toole for Maguire (48); E Lavers for Loughrey (61); D O’Driscoll for Davis (60)
Referee: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).