Cork have sensationally dumped Kerry out of the Championship after Mark Keane’s dramatic last gasp winning goal in extra-time.
The Munster champions were clinging to a one-point lead deep in injury in extra-time when Luke Connolly’s long-range effort for an equaliser dropped short at the back post and Keane, who was given permission from his AFL club Collingwood to play today, held off Tommy Walsh to collect the ball and slot it past Shane Ryan.
Referee Derek O’Mahoney sounded the final whistle from the resultant kickout as Kerry, the team fancied to push Dublin hardest for the All-Ireland this year, fall at the first hurdle in scenes reminiscent of 1983, when they were denied a provincial nine-in-a-row by Tadhg Murphy’s winner in similar circumstances.
It was Cork’s first Championship victory over Kerry since 2012 and the first time that they have knocked them out of the Championship since 1999.
Unlike the free-scoring Munster finals between the counties in high summer of the past couple of years, this was a much more cagey affair, with the sides sharing just four points equally up to the first half water break.
By then, Kerry were dictating the game without it being reflected in their scoring return, which was the theme for much of the half, even if they improved in that respect early in the second quarter.
David Clifford’s third point of the day pushed them 0-5 to 0-3 in front in the 27th minute but Cork enjoyed their best spell from there to half-time, pinning Kerry back in their own half for much as they forced Shane Ryan to go long on his kickouts and mopped up the breaks.
Having been shooting from the outer reaches of the scoring zone for much of the first half, it allowed them to create chances closer to goal and a Mark Collins free followed by a Killian O’Hanlon 45 drew them level before Kevin O’Donovan put them in front for the first time in first half injury time, a lead that Cork maintained at the break, 0-6 to 0-5.
Tony Brosnan quickly drew Kerry level on the resumption and Clifford saw an audacious goal effort shave the outside of the post, while he also hit the upright from what was a relatively routine point effort and missed a straightforward free.
After O’Hanlon restored Cork’s lead with a free, the home side got another boost when Ronan Buckley was black-carded in the 52nd minute for a body check on Ian Maguire, leaving Kerry down a man for 10 minutes at a critical juncture in the game.
The Kerry management started to run in the bench as Stephen O’Brien, Killian Spillane and Jack Barry were introduced and it provided the spark that they needed.
O’Brien’s pace brought fresh energy while Spillane struck for a couple of points either side of a pair of Sean O’Shea points as Kerry looked to have made a decisive burst, going 0-10 to 0-8 in front with three minutes remaining.
Luke Connolly halved the deficit for Cork before Kerry suffered their second black card as David Moran got his marching orders for a trip on Ruairi Deane with a minute of normal time remaining.
Cork held possession as they patiently tried to work an equaliser with Kerry bringing all 14 remaining players behind the ball. Eventually Sean Powter took on a shot only to be blocked but when he seized the resultant break, Gavin White fouled him, allowing Mark Collins to convert the free and bring the game to extra-time.
Kerry regained the ascendency in the first period, a wonder-point from Clifford restoring their lead before he missed another pair of far more scoreable opportunities, while Spillane clipped over a third after outstanding work from O’Brien but Kerry’s lead was still only a point at the break after Connolly converted a free.
Spillane extended their lead in the second period with his fourth point though a brilliant Connolly free from the sideline brought Cork back to within the minimum once again.
Kerry had chances to close it out but failed to hold possession, with David Moran particularly culpable with wild point efforts from distance on two occasions.
They ultimately paid the price as Cork, having failed to work a clear opening, eventually had a pot shot through Connolly from distance, though it fell into the grateful arms of fellow sub Keane, who only returned to Ireland a few weeks ago, and he hit a winner that has turned the 2020 Championship on its head.
CORK: M Martin; K O’Donovan, M Shanley, K Flahive; S Meehan (0-1), S Powter (0-1), M Taylor; I Maguire, P Walsh; J O’Rourke, K O’Hanlon (0-2, 0-1f, 0-1 ‘45’), R Deane; M Collins (0-4, 0-3f), C O’Callaghan, B Hurley (0-1m).
Subs: M Keane (1-0) for O’Callaghan (44), L Connolly (0-3, 0-2f) for O’Rourke (45), M Hurley for Walsh (54), P Kerrigan for B Hurley (62), S White for O’Donovan (70), P Ring for Flahive (70), T Corkery for Powter (74), K O’Driscoll for Maguire (76), D Gore for O’Hanlon (80).
KERRY: S Ryan; T Morley, J Foley, T O’Sullivan; P Murphy, P Crowley, G White; D Moran, D O’Connor; B O Beaglaoich, S O’Shea (0-2, 0-1f), R Buckley (0-1); T Brosnan (0-1), D Clifford (0-4, 0-1f), D Moynihan (0-1).
Subs: S O’Brien for Moynihan (47), K Spillane (0-4) for Brosnan (50), J Barry for O Beaglaoich (55), J Sherwood for Buckley (63), G Crowley for White (70), O Beaglaoich for O’Sullivan (80), T Walsh for Foley (85), P Clifford for O’Connor (89).
REFEREE: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary).
