Kerry claim Munster football title

Kerry have cantered past Cork on a 1-23 to 0-15 scoreline to claim the Munster Football Championship.

The Kingdom were the better team from the very outset of the tie at Fitzgerald Stadium and once they had taken the lead inside the first minute they never relinquished it as the Rebels struggled in all aspects of the tie against their illustrious neighbours.

Kerry led the tie 0-11 to 0-07 at the interval and rammed home their advantage after the interval with a goal from Paul Geaney with five minutes remaining killing off any faint hopes of a comeback.

The victory marks Kerry’s fifth Munster title in succession and their 79^th in total, as their dominance of the province this decade continues, with their sixth title since 2010; Cork’s victory in 2012 their only defeat, which has prevented a clean sweep thus far in the 2010s.

The Kingdom raced into a four-point lead after just four minutes as Cork struggled to contain them in terms of power and pace and from that point Kerry never looked back. Paul Geaney was on target twice early on, as was his cousin Mikey, and James O'Donoghue.

Mark Collins finally got Cork off the mark after eight minutes of the clash, but seven wides in the opening half - compared to none for Kerry - told its own story as their profligate nature in front of goal came to cost them.

O'Donoghue and Anthony Maher added further scores as Kerry continued to push clear. Collins pointed again as Cork desperately tried to find another gear in order to reel the Kingdom in, but further points from O'Donogue and Paul Geaney kept them in the ascendancy.

A brace of Niall Coakley scores for Cork followed, before O'Donoghue and Luke Connolly exchanged scores for the teams. Another point for Paul Geaney punctuated the half.

After the break Kerry killed off the with five scores without reply from O'Donoghue, David Moran, Paul Murphy and two from Stephen O'Brien.

Donnchadh O’Connor was brought into the fray for Cork in the second half and the veteran kicked six points as he tried to maintain some respectability to the scoreline for the Rebels.

Paul Geaney's goal with five minutes of normal time remaining added further gloss to the scoreline as he shot on goal, had his shot saved, only to see it rebound back to him, of his leg and into the net, in one of the ugliest goals you're likely to see.

Ten minutes of injury time were added late on due treatment for a head injury to Fionn Fitzgerald after he clashed with one of his own players and was removed from the field of play; the extra-time were merely pronlonged Cork's agony with their fierce rivals well out of sight at that stage and looking primed for a tilt at the All-Ireland title.

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