FROM THE ARCHIVE MUNSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL FINAL, JULY 1983: CORK 3-10, KERRY 3-9IT WILL be talked about for decades in Cork and Kerry, it will live in the folklore of Gaelic sport – that moment of drama in which a great Munster final was won and lost at Páirc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.
For Cork, whose right wing forward Tadhg Murphy scored the winning goal with the second last kick of the game, it was a moment of sheer ecstasy, an impossible dream, a mirage, turned to reality.
For Kerry it was like a horrendous nightmare as they saw their crown whipped away after eight unbroken years in distinguished possession of the Munster championship.
It marked the end of deep frustration for their perennial rivals. And when the end came and a game which Kerry appeared to have won was standing on its head, both teams were dazed, as if struck by a thunderbolt descending from the electrical storm which flooded the pitch and most of Cork city only four hours before the final started.
Moments like this are rare in sport and many minutes passed before either side fully grasped what had really happened. Cork combined the elements of luck and courage to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
An estimated attendance of 17,000 spectators saw that deed performed at the end of one minute of injury time, with Kerry two points in front and the record-making ninth successive Munster title seemingly on its way back to the Kingdom.
The referee John Moloney was looking at his watch when Cork’s Denis Allen, who had switched from the right corner to centre forward, was fouled some 65 yards from the Kerry posts. The whistle sounded for a free kick. Allen hesitated over the ball as he intended to take the kick. His colleague John Cleary one of the heroes of the day, also appeared to have the same intent when substitute Tadhg O’Reilly moved up and sent the ball soaring over the heads of the Kerry backs and it dropped into the hands of Tadhg Murphy.
With Charlie Nelligan to beat at the city end of the field the winger turned and shot for goal. As Nelligan advanced the ball struck the left post and ricocheted into the net.
In many respects it was a carbon copy of Kerry’s experience in the 1982 All-Ireland final. Mike Sheehy’s free kick put them four points in front with only six minutes to go but they could not hold on to that advantage.
Cork fought back and Cleary converted a free and then, with 90 seconds of normal time remaining, Murphy kicked another Cork point to close the gap to the most precarious dimensions for Kerry.
Cork deserved the smile of fortune, most of all for their gritty persistence, a refusal to concede that they could not win the title last held by the county in 1974. Yesterday’s victory brought the crown to Cork for the 23rd time.
It was a great game in spite of the state of the ground which was virtually a sheet of water when the minor final began at 12.45. The provincial junior final followed that and the rain continued to fall until shortly before the senior game began. The surface was greasy and the handling of the ball very difficult but both teams made light of the conditions and were rewarded for their efforts when the sun shone again midway through the second half.
The scores were level five times in the game, including half time when each side had scored 1-5.
Cork started at a fast pace and were the better team in the first half. They played with more cohesion and revealed weaknesses in the Kerry defence. They could not take full advantage of all their openings, however, principally through inaccurate shooting.
They were, however, 1-2 to 0-1 in front after 14 minutes, their skilful corner forward Cleary taking all of their scores. Denis Allen put the comer forward through for the goal with a clever pass and Cleary ran on to beat the advancing Nelligan. At this time Cork’s Dom Creedon and Coleman Corrigan were winning a good deal of possession at midfield, although Jack O’Shea was playing his heart out for Kerry.
The champions kept in touch and when only three points separated the teams minutes before the interval, Jack O’Shea made a great run through the middle of the Cork defence and gave goalkeeper Michael Creedon no chance with a mighty shot from close range.
That goal levelled the scores for Kerry at half-time but Cork were somewhat unlucky not to be two or three points in front. Kerry did, however, miss a number of good chances in the first half. Denis Moran drove the ball wide with only Creedon to beat and Ger Power had another chance of a goal when he drove the ball over the bar. The right half back Páidí Ó Sé, who at this time had moved to the other wing was later badly wide with a shot from 15 yards and John Egan was unlucky to see a powerful drive burn the paint on the top of the crossbar when it might have well gone in for a goal.
Cork again made the running at the start of the second half when Murphy kicked a point and then punched the ball into the net in the 39th minute for his first goal. The move which brought that score started out on the right wing with Dave Barry and Denis Allen, and then John Allen punched the ball into Murphy who struck it in the air. There was a suspicion in the press box that Murphy was inside the square before the ball arrived but the umpire was unmoved.
Kerry then fought back and after Sheehy had converted a free kick Cork conceded a penalty. Páidí Ó Sé went racing through the home defence but was pulled down inside the area by the Cork centre forward Eoin O’Mahony. Jack O’Shea took the spot kick and sent the ball home well to the right of Michael Creedon.
That goal levelled the scores in the 43rd minute and three minutes later Kerry took the lead for the first time when Sheehy converted another free. Cork equalised and then regained the lead but the scores were level for the fifth time in the 56th minute when Sheehy pointed a free.
Kerry were now attacking strongly and made what appeared the vital breakthrough in the 60th minute when Seán Walsh, who had come on as a substitute, took a lovely pass from Sheehy and fired to the net. Kerry were now a goal in front and four minutes later Sheehy added what looked like an insurance point.
Cork had not given up the fight however and with splendid persistence fought back to achieve one of the most remarkable and memorable victories in the whole history of the Munster football championship.
The weakness in the Kerry defence might have been severely punished much earlier if Cork had maintained their first half efforts at midfield. This was not possible, however, for Jack O’Shea was gaining possession frequently and his partner Vincent O’Connor came into the game with great effect during the second half.
Although not as prominent in the second half as he was in the first, Cleary was the star of the Cork attack and received excellent support from Denis Allen and Murphy. Eoin O’Mahony started very well but could not maintain his thrust at centre forward. Dave Barry never really got into the thick of the fray but the full forward John Allen was always a menace when marked by John O’Keeffe and later by Paudie Lynch after O’Keeffe retired at half-time.
The winners’ outstanding backs were the wing halves, Jimmy Kerrigan and Michael Hannon. Christy Ryan, the captain, also played staunchly at centre half while the full back Kevin Kehilly played with great determination in spite of a leg injury against Kerry’s full forward Eoin Liston.
Egan was another Kerry forward to threaten the Cork defence repeatedly while Mike Sheehy, Denis Moran, Tommy Doyle and Ger Power had many good moments which never really produced the scores that used to come so freely from them.
CORK:M Creedon; M Healy, K Kehilly, J Evans; M Hannon, C Ryan (capt), J Kerrigan; D Creedon, C Corrigan; T Murphy (2-2). E O'Mahony, D Barry; D Allen (0-2). J Allen, J Cleary (1-6, four frees). Subs:T O'Reilly for Barry (49 mins), E Fitzgerald for O'Mahony (57 mins).
KERRY:C Nelligan; G O'Keeffe, J O'Keeffe , P Lynch; P Ó Sé, T Kennelly, M Spillane; J O'Shea (capt) (2-0). V O'Connor; G Power (0-1), D Moran, T Doyle; M Sheehy (0-7. five frees, one sideline), E Liston, J Egan ( 0-1). Subs:J L McElligott for J O'Keeffe (half time), S Walsh (1-0) for Power (54 mins).
Referee:J Moloney (Tipperary).
