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A second goal before half-time was crucial for Kerry to win his 50th Munster MFC title by defeating Clare in a match played in difficult conditions at the Gaelic Grounds.
An interception by captain Oisín Maunsell led to Kerry’s first goal in the sixth minute when Keith Evans finished. putting them 1-1 to 0-0 ahead from the start. Three consecutive pitches by Diarmuid Fahy had Clare score again in the first half of the water break, but Kerry’s second goal was ideally timed when Cillian Burke (award-winning player of the game) passed the ball to Cian McMahon for the Fist out straight into the net as the match entered first-half injury time.
Starting the second half after a 2-5-0-5 interval lead, Kerry then scored five consecutive touchdowns in the run-up to the third quarter of the game.
Clare goalie Thomas Collins bravely stopped Kerry forward Darragh O’Sullivan who went under two highs, but O’Sullivan added two points as Kerry led by 10 points. The Banner’s first score in the second half was a goal from Craig Riordan in the 50th minute.
Riordan added a free kick for Clare, but in the fourth quarter Kerry maintained his double-digit lead, McMahon tied Evans at 1-2. The victory was Kerry’s eighth consecutive provincial title at the junior level, as they have not lost an MFC game at Munster since 2013.
Scorers – Kerry: K Evans, C McMahon (0-1f) 1-2 each; P O’Leary, C Burke, D O’Sullivan (1f) 0-2 each; C O’Connell, O Maunsell, M O’Connell, R Burns 0-1 each.
Clare: C Riordan 1-1 (0-1f); D Fahy 0-3 (3f); B Rouine 0-2; M Nash 0-1.
KERRY – S Broderick; C O’Donoghue, J Nagle, D O’Callaghan; P O’Leary, A Heinrich, C Burke; Or Maunsell; C O’Connell; K Evans, W Shine, T O’Donnell; C McMahon, A O’Shea, D O’Sullivan. Subs: M O’Connell for Shine (43), J Kissane for O’Shea (43), R Burns for O’Sullivan (49), J McElligott for O’Donoghue (50), D Fleming for O’Leary (58 ).
CLARE – T Collins; M O’Loughlin, F Guinnane, D Rouine; O Cunningham, F Kelliher, J Gayler; B Rouine B McNamara; D. O’Brien, C. McGroary, D. Nagle; E Killeen, C Riordan, D Fahy. Substitutes: M Nash for Cunningham (46), S McMahon for Nagle (53), D Lohan for D Rouine (53).
REFEREE – J Hayes (Limerick).
Online editors
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