The Kingdom’s wait for an All-Ireland title at the Under-20/21 age grade extends to 17 years after defeat to Tyrone in their first final appearance since that 2008 victory
Tyrone 1-20
Kerry 1-14
The 16-year famine will extend to 17 after Kerry came up short in their quest for a first All-Ireland U-20 title since 2008, with the Kingdom really having no answer to as powerful a Tyrone team and performance as has been seen at this age grade for some time.
Luke Crowley’s goal (from a penalty) and point in the 52nd and 53rd minutes helped haul Kerry back from the abyss of an eight-point deficit to trail by just four, but there was no denying a better Tyrone team that had Eoin McElholm in sublime scoring form, with seven from play in a masterclass of point scoring.
Kerry manager Tomás Ó Sé had alluded to Tyrone’s pace and power in the attack, and warned that the Kingdom’s defence would have to be at the top of their game to thwart the Ulster champions. Alas, collectively they had no answer for a rampant Red Hand attack, with McElholm leading the charge, backed up by Ruairi McCullagh and Ronan Cassidy, who between the three of them scored 0-15 from play.
It all amounted to Tyrone winning their second All-Ireland U-20 title in three years while 2008 remains the last time Kerry got their hands on the Clarke Cup, when they won the championship as an Under-21 competition.
The first quarter was a fairly even affair, the pace and openness of the football another positive on a sunlit afternoon on a perfect O’Moore Park sod in Portlaoise.
Kerry settled to their work well, with Eddie Healy and Rob Stack involved at midfield, Odhran Ferris showing well on the ‘forty’ and Cormac Dillon providing a very useful outlet in the corner. But Tyrone were just as impressive and from the get go that attacking threat was obvious.
McElholm, Cassidy (free) and Cassidy again scored for Tyrone, while Dillon, Daniel Kirby and Healy raised the white flags for Kerry as the teams were locked on 0-3 apiece after 13 minutes.
The breakthrough goal came in the 14th minute when Joey Clarke cut through the Kerry defence and planted the ball beyond Kerry goalkeeper Michael Tansley with the help of a slight deflection and the post.
Tyrone sensed a frailty in the Kerry rearguard and they went for it. Thrice more in the half they knocked sparks off the Kerry posts. Gavin Potter saw a low shot for a goal come back off the post, and then moments later wing-back Shea O’Hare pinged a shot back off the upright in the 17th minute. Cormac Devlin collected the dropping ball, cut inside and rattled the woodwork on the other side with Tansley beaten.
Kerry were just about hanging on at that stage, with Healy and Dillon kicking scores to get a floundering Kingdom to the break lucky to be just four behind, 1-8 to 0-7, half time lead.
Three passes and 15 seconds into the second half and Tyrone scored again, McCullagh applying the finish. By the 39th minute there was just the goal between them, 1-10 to 0-10, but in the next 10 minutes McElholm, McCullagh and Cassidy scored a brace each to open up an eight-point lead.
Kerry full back Dara O’Callaghan – who missed the semi-final win over Meath through injury – was withdrawn just before half time, but the Kerry defence were still all at sea and put on toast by Tyrone’s brilliant forward play.
By the three-quarter mark Tyrone had both hands firmly on the cup, leading 1-16 to 0-11. Crowley then bulldozed his way into the Tyrone square and won a penalty, which he dispatched past Conor McAnemy, and followed up with a point to make it 1-16 to 1-12, but there would be no Kingdom comeback. and no denying the Red Hand county its seventh All-Ireland title.
McElholm reeled off another three scores, Crowley was black-carded in additional time, and the Clarke Cup was on its way to Tyrone for the first time since 2022.
KERRY: Michael Tansley; Maidhcí Lynch, Dara O’Callaghan, Gearóid Evans; Charlie Keating, Darragh O’Connor, Cian Lynch; Robert Stack, Eddie Healy 0-2; Daniel Kirby 0-1, Odhran Ferris, Tomás Kennedy; Luke Crowley 1-1 (1-0 pen), Aidan Crowley, Cormac Dillon 0-8 (3f, 1m). Subs: Evan Boyle 0-1 for Stack (temp, 22-23), Ryan Diggin for O’Callaghan (30), Paddy Lane 0-1 for A Crowley (ht), Evan Boyle for Stack (46), Adam Segal for Evans (49)
TYRONE: Conor McAneny, Joey Clarke 0-1, Ben Hughes, Conor Devlin, Shea O’Hare, Michael Rafferty, Ódhrán Brolly 0-1, Ronan Fox, Conor O’Neill, Cormac Devlin 0-1, Eoin McElholm 0-7, Gavin Potter, Ruairi McCullagh 0-5 (1f), Ronan Cassidy 0-5 (1f), Callum Daly. Subs: Fiachra Nelis for Devlin (38), Ruairi McHugh for Brolly (44), Noah Grimes for Potter (54), Conor Owens 0-1 for McCullagh (58), Ronan Donnelly for Cassidy (62)
Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
