Kerry and Tyrone progressed to the last four of the All-Ireland minor football championship thanks to respective wins in Portlaoise this afternoon.

Kerry hung on for a 0-14 to 1-9 win over Cavan at O’Moore Park where they led by five 10 minutes into the second-half before Matthew Duffy’s goal sparked a fight back from the Breffni lads which fell just short in the end.

Points from Danny Murphy and Kevin Griffin helped the Munster champions run up an early 0-5 to 0-0 lead and it’d be the 15th minute when Jay Graham’s free finally got Cavan off the mark.

Ed O’Hanlon’s side would out score the Kingdom by 0-4 to 0-1 after that to trail by one at half-time, but they’d fall five behind again after the change of ends as Ben Kelliher (2), Mark O’Carroll and skipper Gearoid White all landed scores.

Duffy’s goal the came at the perfect time for the Blues and, despite going four points down again, the scores of Cian McConnell, Nathan Quigley and Graham made it a one-point game with two minutes remaining prior to Liam O’Brien grabbing what proved the insurance score for Wayne Quillinan’s side. 

Cork's Ronan Hayes tackles Mark Kennedy of Tyrone ©INPHO/Leah Scholes

The later game in Portlaoise saw Tyrone more comfortable in their 1-21 to 1-12 win over Cork.

Cathal Farley’s third minute goal gave the Ulster champions a dream start as they moved towards a 1-9 to 0-3 some 15 minutes later.

Cork struck a sorely needed goal through Ben Corkery Delaney in the 24th minute and went in trailing by 1-13 to 1-7 at the break.

Corkery Delaney and Donagh Flynn helped reduce the Rebels’ arrears to four points by the 42nd minute, but Gerard Donnelly’s side put in an exceptional closing quarter which saw points from Joel Kerr, Peter Colton and Eoin Long help cement the win.

The two remaining quarter-finals see Roscommon and Louth squaring off at Kingspan Breffni at 7pm this evening ahead of Offaly and Mayo battling it out tomorrow afternoon at Dr Hyde Park (3pm).  

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