Kingdom to four with yet another title in Munster Pressure is a privilege, BRING IT ON
Kerry
3-11
Cork
0-14 KERRY U20s made it a clean sweep of Munster titles in one week for the Kingdom as they fought back to overpower great rivals Cork in Tralee.
Munster titles at senior, junior and minor grades were added to by Jack O’connor’s free scoring U20 side who ensured Kerry would be the first county whose name would be engraved in the Munster U20 trophy.
Cork made an explosive start, scoring three points without reply in as many minutes from Colm O’callaghan, Damien Gore and Colm Barrett with the tall Mark Keane causing the Kerry full-back line serious problems.
But Kerry soon settled and were level by the ninth minute before a sublimely finished goal David Shaw to the bottom corner of the Cork net (inset).
Man of the match Stefan Okunbor was now getting to grips with Keane and with Mike Breen also helping out the game was developing into a titanic battle. Cork then rattled off four points on the trot from Tadgh Corkery and three from Chris Óg Jones to go 0-8 to 1-3 in front.
Kerry levelled with points from Cormac Linnane and a Donal O’sullivan free to make it level at the break, 1-6 to 0-9.
The key score of the game came in the 41st minute when Fiachra Clifford cut through and Eddie Horan, just on the pitch, drilled the ball to the Cork net.
Chris Óg Jones kept Cork within striking distance but Kerry struck again in the 53rd minute when Donal O’sullivan was hauled down for a penalty that Mark Ryan slotted in. COLM SPILLANE was just three days past his sixth birthday when he attended his first Munster final - Cork against Clare in 1999.
His memories are vague at best but it turned out to be a defining fixture in the modern rivalry of the two counties. Cork claimed a first provincial crown in seven years at the expense of their opponents, who were bidding for their fourth in five seasons. Clare haven’t won one since and tomorrow’s summit against Cork in Thurles is just their third final in the last 19 years though their second in succes- sion, having lost to the Rebels in last year’s decider.
“I don’t remember much of the Munster final but I do remember the All-ireland in the rain,” says Spillane of 1999.
“That was the first and we’d a vested interest in it because Timmy Mac was playing. They’re special occasions.”
Timmy Mccarthy, from the Castlelyons club like Spillane, was something of a cult hero on that Cork team, a rangey half-forward who let his hurling do the talking.
“You have that belief then when you see someone from a small place like Castlelyons playing for the Cork senior hurlers.
“Maybe when I’m down the pitch and fellas see me there, they’ve more interest in Castlelyons and belief that they could play with Cork.
“It was always a dream of mine to play for Cork and, I know it’s a cliche, but every time you put on that Cork jersey it’s a privilege.
“That buzz you get from playing Championship, meeting people on the streets, in Castlelyons, where I teach, even in Cork city sometimes, them wishing you the best of luck... you get great satisfaction from that.
“Cork has always been a real hurling county and people love their hurling and love their hurlers. It gives everyone a boost.”
That dream was CORK fading before he even got around to making his Championship debut, however, following a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained against Waterford in February 2016.
“You do think when you’re out injured and you’re getting a bit older you might have just missed the boat. Kieran [Kingston] had great faith in me, he told me he believed in me and he wanted me to be on the team.
“I was delighted last year to make my Championship debut and once you get a taste for it it’s not something you CLARE TV TIMES: Live on RTE One from 1.10pm (throw-in 2pm)