Roche and Hayes goals help Cork defeat Kerry in Tralee to reach Munster semi-final Cork will now play Limerick in next Monday’s semi-final...

Report from 42.ie

Cork 2-24
Kerry 2-10

SECOND-HALF GOALS from Brian Roche and Brian Hayes helped pave the way for Cork to advance past Kerry in tonight’s Bord Gáis Energy Munster U20 hurling quarter-final in Tralee.

Those strikes saw Cork end up victors by 14 points but Kerry produced a spirited display that challenged the winners with goals registered by Michael Slattery and Nathan Guerin for them in the clash at Austin Stack.

The reward for Cork is a semi-final tie next Monday away to Limerick at 5pm in the LIT Gaelic Grounds.

Roche, whose twin brother Eoin was also in the starting fifteen, finished as Cork’s top scorer with 1-3 from play. Substitute Hayes came off the bench to score 1-2 while free-taker Tommy O’Connell (0-5), impressive wing-back Daire O’Leary (0-4) and attacker Shane O’Regan (0-3) were others to the fore in the scoring stakes.

Tommy O'Connell, pictured in action for Cork's U20 team last year.Source: Tommy Dickson/INPHO

The Pat Ryan-managed Cork side enjoyed an advantage of 0-11 to 0-5 at the break. Kerry were extremely competitive though as they got plenty bodies back in defence, Kevin Goulding sweeping effectively, and they were only trailing 0-4 to 0-3 at first-half water break.

Michael Slattery tied the teams soon after but then Cork began to pull clear as they strung together five points in succession. Darragh Slattery kept Kerry in touch as they faced a six-point deficit at the break, and while Cork begain the second half brighter – Colin O’Brien chipping in with a brace – a goal arrived for Kerry in the 42nd minute when Slattery’s fre travelled all the way to the net.

Cork took control once more with substitutes Hayes, Ethan Twomey and Jack Cahalane all impacting. There were three goals in the final ten minutes with Roche drilling home the first for Cork, Nathan Guerin getting clear before batting in a shot for Kerry and then Hayes rounded the game off by whipping in an overhead shot.

Scorers for Cork: Brian Roche 1-3, Brian Hayes 1-2, Tommy O’Connell 0-5 (0-3f), Daire O’Leary 0-4, Shane O’Regan 0-3, Colin O’Brien, Brian O’Sullivan, Eoin Carey 0-2 each, Alan Connolly 0-1.

Scorers for Kerry: Michael Slattery 1-4 (1-2f, 0-1 ’65), Nathan Guerin 1-0, Darragh Slattery 0-2, Dan Casey 0-1, Dylan Moriarty 0-1, Kevin Goulding (0-1f).