OFF COLOUR KINGDOM DO JUST ENOUGH
Cork 0-15 Kerry
1-14 BY STEPHEN BARRY KERRY clutched onto two precious points on Leeside to get their All-ireland defence back on track, without showing the class that got them up the steps of the Hogan Stand.
They led from pillar to post but Cork never stopped nibbling away at them. David Clifford’s 47th-minute penalty, after Seán Powter was sent to the sin bin, gave Kerry a cushion.
Clifford outscored the Rebels by 1-2 to 0-1 in that 10-minute spell with an extra man.
Seán O’shea (inset, with Paudie Clifford) showed sparks of his 2022 form. He was fist-pumping his first from play in the seventh minute before adding two more. Maurice Shanley was soon switched to pick him up.
Shanley’s run had created Cork’s opener for Chris Óg Jones, with Brian O’driscoll and Brian Hurley (free) keeping them in touch.
Kerry kicked three in a row thereafter to push them four up, with Adrian Spillane, Paudie Clifford, and O’shea keeping them in control.
Daniel O’mahony was trusted with tagging David Clifford and they shared an engrossing duel. Clifford got off the mark in the fifth minute but O’mahony robbed him twice shortly after.
Clifford retreated outfield and launched one missile between the posts from outside the 45 to end a nine-minute scoreless spell.
A Hurley free brought them within one score but Paudie Clifford made it 0-9 to 0-5 at half-time.
Cork got the jump on the restart with four points inside seven minutes against one O’shea free. They had scores from Hurley (a mark and a free), Powter with a turn of pace, and Killian O’hanlon, who fired a potential goal chance over. But one turnover would turn to disaster for the hosts.
Powter coughed up possession after taking a wrong turn and desperate to make up for his mistake, he brought Paul Geaney down outside the box. David Gough ruled it was cynical, flashing a black card and awarding the penalty, dispatched by David Clifford.
Kerry would stretch their lead to five with the man advantage thanks to two more Clifford points.
Cork’s subs were making an impact, with Eoghan Mcsweeney scoring with his first touch and a huge Steven Sherlock point helping to cut the gap to two.
David Clifford burst through to point but the Rebels raided back upfield to send Sherlock in on goal but he blazed over.
Clifford laid off to O’sullivan for a tap-over insurance point in the 73rd minute before Mcsweeney’s final score.