Kerry are Munster junior football champions for the sixth straight year, bossing the second half to beat Cork by 1-14 to 0-13 at Pairc Ui Rinn.

With 767 paying punters looking on, Jimmy Keane’s men trailed by a point at the end of a keenly-contested opening period, 0-9 to 1-5, but outscored the Leesiders by nine points to four upon the resumption to retain the silverware.

Unanswered points from Gary Murphy (2), Anthony O'Connor and Fintan O'Connor propelled the Rebels into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead with eleven minutes played and Murphy restored their advantage at the start of the second quarter after the visitors had drawn level.

Murphy, Seamus Hickey, Fintan O'Connor and Anthony O'Connor ('45') had the margin at double scores with five minutes left before the break but the Kingdom finished the first half strongest to turn around trailing by the minimum, Stephen O’Sullivan netting after a Chris Farley pass and Michael Foley equalising, Eoin O'Shea's injury-time strike separating the teams at the break.

The winners arrowed over five unanswered points in the third quarter to move four clear. O’Sullivan fired a brace and there were further points from Daniel Daly and Barry O’Dwyer, the Kingdom now making hay with the wind behind them.

The lead was out to seven as we passed the hour mark and the Kingdom held on to win comfortably despite a trio of late Cork scores from Anthony O’Connor (2) and Hickey.

The next target for this Kerry side is to win a fifth straight All-Ireland!

Kerry - E O’Brien (0-1'45); C O Murchu, P O’Connor, PJ O’Sullivan; J Brosnan (0-1), M Breen, M Foley (0-1); JM Foley, N Breen; P O’Connor, C Farley, B Barrett; S O’Sullivan (1-3), D Daly (0-4, 3f), B O’Dwyer (0-3). Subs: C Teahan (0-1) for N Breen (BC), T Lynch for B Barrett, J Crean for C Farley, J Spillane for B O’Dwyer.

Cork - C Kelly; P Clancy, P Murphy, G McCarthy; K Cremin, J Mullins, G O’Callaghan; BT O’Sullivan, P Walsh; F O’Connor (0-2), A O’Connor (0-4, 2f, 1'45), S Aherne; G Murphy (0-4, 2f), S Hickey (0-2), E O’Shea (0-1). Subs: L Wall for G O’Callaghan, ST O’Sullivan for S Aherne, T Corkery for BT O’Sullivan, E O’Callaghan for P Walsh, E Goggin for E O’Shea, G Kelleher for F O’Connor.

Referee - D O’Callaghan.

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