Cork count the cost of missed goal chances as Kerry's excellent kicking from range is the difference

Cork's missed goal chances and Kerry's excellent kicking from range proved the difference in the All-Ireland SFC Group 2 Round 2 encounter between the old neighbours at SuperValu Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Saturday evening.

The elements:

Kerry made hay with the wind at their backs. Cork did not. That was the game in a nutshell.

Kerry scored a huge 21 points in the second half when they had the breeze in their favour with them picking off seven two pointers in building that total.

In the first half Cork did score 13 points, but it needed to be much more.

Kerry turned a three point half time deficit into an eleven point win. Enough said.

Goal scoring opportunities:

Just like Kerry used the wind better they also were much more efficient with the goal scoring opportunities they engineered over the course of the seventy minutes.

The three Mark Cronin second half attempts that were saved in the space of about four seconds summed up Cork's afternoon. Shane Ryan brilliantly saved his penalty, then parried the rebound before the subsequent shot was also blocked.

Cork had huge regrets over the two goal scoring opportunities that Shane Ryan saved within a minute around the quarter hour mark, as he denied Mark Cronin and Mattie Taylor in quick succession, while Taylor had another chance before half time but couldn't pull the trigger in time.

There were other chances too but a combination of brilliant last gasp Kingdom defending and Cork inaccuracy frustrated Cork and ultimately cost them the game.

Rematch:

The two sides had gone all the way to extra time just six weeks ago in the Munster championship, before Kerry prevailed by 3-21 to 1-25, but given Cork’s possession and shot creation stats that day, they should have won.

Since that game Cork were unimpressive in losing to Meath whereas Kerry had blown away both Clare and Roscommon by nine and eleven points, respectively.

Cork started well but that that was until Kerry used the wind to kick clear and once they led the result was an inevitably.

Predictable kick outs:

The Cork kickout strategy is not exactly the third secret of Fatima, with everyone knowing in advance how the Rebels are going to set up on their restarts.

Cork overload one side of the pitch and look to get superior numbers in and around the dropping ball from Micheal Aodh Martin's long restarts.

Cork had lost 13 of their kickouts in the defeat to Meath in Navan last weekend, with this translating to Meath having more scoring opportunities. To have any hope here those kickout stats had to improve.

They did in the first half but against the wind in the second half Kerry cleaned up completely and the Cork resistance wilted as Kerry kicked nine unanswered points in an eleven minute spell.

Cork directness:

Cork were noticeably looking to kick the ball into the full forward line earlier that usual, plus they were actively using Sean Walsh to run directly down the Kerry centre, which engineered the two Cork scores they managed in the opening ten minutes.

Given the amount of goal scoring opportunities Cork created they will happy how this approach went. They just won't be happy with their execution.

Early setback:

Micheal Aodh Martin’s costly short kickout in the 6th minute allowed David Clifford the opportunity to rattle the back of the Cork net. It gave Jack O’Connor’s side the perfect start.

But Chris Og Jones’ breakaway score in the 20th minute levelled matters, as Cork slotted six points from seven attempts, to illustrate the economy of their point shooting.

Indeed, Brian Hurley’s 26th minute free gave Cork the lead for the first time, and it was the captains two pointer on the hooter that gave Cork a three point lead at the break, which looked extremely unlikely when they were five down early on.

In hindsight Cork needed a much bigger lead at the change of ends to have a chance so that early setback came back to haunt them.