Kerry 1-14 Cork 3-09

Cork regained the Eirgrid Munster Under-21 Football Championship title as sub Cian Dorgan kicked an outstanding winner to cap a wonderful final at Tralee tonight.

A see-saw second half saw the sides exchange the upper hand as the scores rained in, but late points from Kerry’s Jack Savage and sub Tony Brosnan looked to have ensured that extra time would be required to determined who advanced to meet Monaghan in the All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday week.

However, the 4,683 in Austin Stack Park were denied an additional 20 minutes of action as Dorgan, a late sub, was given the freedom to attempt a shot from way out on the right flank and he split the posts to spark wild celebrations among the travelling support.

That was in the second minute of the allotted four minutes of injury time but Kerry found their following efforts repelled by the visitors’ defence.

A Cork counter-attack nearly saw Dan Ó Duinnín make sure of victory only for his shot to come back off the woodwork.

It mattered little though, as the whistle sounded and the Rebels were crowned champions for the sixth time in eight years.

Early in the first half, it looked like Kerry were well set to end their eight-year wait for a provincial U21 title.

They had two points on the board inside a minute and Cork were all at sea, but Brian Coakley’s goal following a well-worked move involving Michael Hurley and Ryan Harkin, put them 1-2 to 0-3 ahead.

That lead soon extended to four points and even though Dara Roche replied for Kerry, Seán Powter had another Cork goal, selling a dummy to create space before firing home.

It was 2-4 to 0-4 at that stage but Cork’s scoring well dried up from there to the break, with Kerry getting themselves back in contention through points from Jack Savage (two frees) and Éanna Ó Conchúir.

On the resumption, Jack O’Connor’s side continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges and Mark O’Connor’s brilliant finish put them 1-9 to 2-5 in front, Roche adding another point straight after.

Cork weren’t for backing down – they had points from Michael Hurley and Peter Kelleher and the lead returned to them when man of the match, midfielder Seán White, took Stephen Cronin’s pass and sent his shot to the net via the crossbar.

They wouldn’t trail after that, with Dorgan having the final say.

Cork: A Casey; M McSweeney, J Mullins, D Quinn; K Flahive, S Cronin, K Histon; S White (1-00), S O’Leary; S O’Donoghue (0-01f), S Powter (1-00), R Harkin (0-02); B Coakley (1-01, 0-01f), P Kelleher (0-01), M Hurley (0-02).

Subs: S Sherlock (0-01f) for Powter (half-0time), D Ó Duinnín for O’Donoghue (46), C Dorgan (0-01) for B Coakley (51), C Kiely for Flahive (52, black card), E Lavers for O’Leary (53).

Kerry: E O’Brien; T O’Sullivan, J Foley, TL O’Sullivan; G White, B Ó Beaglaioch, M Flaherty; B O’Sullivan, M O’Connor (0-01); B Ó Seanacháin (0-01), M Burns, É Ó Conchúir (0-01); D Roche (0-03), K Spillane, J Savage (0-05, 0-04f).

Subs: G Horan for Ó Seanacháin (half-0time), D Foran for O’Connor (42), C Coffey for Ó Beaglaioch (43), J Kelly for Ó Conchúir (48), T Brosnan (0-01) for Roche (56), F Clifford for White (57).

Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary).