Oscar Traynor Cup , Cork AUL 0-2 Kerry DL

Oscar Traynor Cup
Group C , Match 2
Sunday 15-11-2015
Cork Aul 0-2 Kerry DL

By Padraig Hartnett

Playing a must win game away from home in gale force winds it looked like things were conspiring against Kerry in this must win game.

With Limerick beating West Cork on Saturday night they moved onto 6 points while Cork had 3 points on the board. Kerry had lost to Limerick in their first game so it really was 3 points or nothing.

Cork AUL started the game the better on the Douglas Hall All Weather and Kerry keeper Gary Sugrue had to alert early on to keep out a David Dineen effort. Ryan Downey also put in a great block as Cork looked to turn the screw.

But Kerry gradually got into the game and Stephen Hayes almost played in Sean Brosnan but Adrian O’Donovan in the Cork goal was quick off his line. Brosnan then turned provider for Hayes but his header was off target,

However the breakthrough did come in the 20th minute when Kerry went ahead. A Stephen Conway throw was expertly headed to the net by Aidan O’Callaghan who had gone forward from centre back.

Cork were stunned by this and Kerry continued to press and in the 41st minute they doubled their advantage. From a Cork free kick Gary Sugrue held well and played the ball to Pa McCarthy. He played in Sean Brosnan who coolly flicked the ball past Donovan, who had looked odds on to get it, to give Kerry a 2-0.

Cork launched one more attack before the break and it looked like they were in but Maurice O’Rahilly executed an amazing clearance off the line.

With the wind swirling Kerry knew Cork AUL would throw everything at them in the early stages of the second half. However this 45 minutes in these conditions was a master class by Kerry in how to manage a game.

They back four of Conway, O’Callaghan, O’Rahilly and Downey were solid and with James Sugrue and Joe Hurley controlling matters in mid-field Cork were restricted to long range efforts. When Kerry did get the ball forward Fergal Maunsell and Sean Brosnan cleverly held the ball up.

Kerry are now home to West Cork and know that a win will probably see them into the Last 16. Cork will face Limerick at the same time and must win which would leave all three sides on 6 points.

Kerry: Gary Sugrue, Steven Conway, Ryan Downey, Aidan O’Callaghan, Maurice O’Rahilly, Joe Hurley (Timmy Lynch 83 mins), Pa McCarthy, James Sugrue, Sean Brosnan, Fergal Maunsell, Stephen Hayes (Wayne Murphy 72 mins). Subs: Darragh Lowth, Barry Galvin.

Cork: A O’Donovan, D Murphy, A Gerraty, W Cotter, M Barrett, P Long, W Doherty (Caldwell 65), D Dineen (J May 60), C Forde, J Corcoran, H Coakley.