
After a season of highs, so many energy-boosting highs, the lows are very difficult to digest but Dr Crokes can reflect on this afternoon’s clash in Newbridge with a real sense of pride after a heroic performance that just fell agonisingly short.
The tank was empty as they set out on their three-hour home to Killarney this Saturday night after leaving everything on the pitch at St Conleth’s Park in a classic encounter that required a dramatic period of extra time to separate the champions of Kerry and Munster from the kingpins of Tyrone and Ulster.
With less than a minute remaining in normal time, it looked as if Pat O’Shea’s side would be booking an overnight stay in Dublin next weekend.
A late Micheál Burns point had edged them 0-16 to 1-12 ahead and they held possession in their own half with referee Brendan Cawley taking a second glance at his watch. A hasty, wayward clearance from defence, however, carried a hefty price tag as Errigal Ciarán turned it over and mounted one last gasp attack which levelled the scores and sent the game to extra time.
Devastatingly for Crokes, Brian Looney and Micheál Burns – their two best players on the day by a country mile – both suffered knocks in that overtime period which came as no surprise given the incredible performances they put it and the energy they spent throughout normal time.
They were forced to leave the field and, from that stage on, Crokes seemed to run out of steam and ideas and Errigal Ciarán suddenly looked the more likely.
They didn’t go down without a fight, however, and although they found scoring opportunities very hard to come by in the second period of extra time, a blockbuster goal by Charlie Keating set the scene for a grandstand finish but the finely-tuned Tyrone outfit held out for a 2-18 to 1-18 victory.

It was a day in which Crokes struggled badly to cope with the remarkable and potent twin threat of the unmarkable Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, who contributed a remarkable 1-13 between them and they proved to be a real force of nature with a telepathic understanding and a real eye for the target.
A single point behind at half-time, 0-7 to 0-8, Crokes looked by far the better side on the resumption with Tony Brosnan converting frees for fun, Micheál Burns tormenting the Errigal rearguard with a power-packed display and Brian Looney – the Peter Pan of Kerry football – pulling all the strings and making it happen for the club to which he has devoted outstanding service.
The one stain on the Killarney copybook came in the 39th minute when, distracted by a minor altercation under the stand, Crokes were caught unawares and when Ruairi Canavan played a delightful long ball into his brother, Darragh had only keeper Shane Murphy to beat and he did so with aplomb.
Despite that blow, which left them two points behind, Crokes stuck manfully to the task at hand and points from Brian Looney and Tony Brosnan had them back on terms.

Looking to change things up at key stages of the game, Pat O’Shea made a number of changes and the cavalry arrived in the form of the old guard, with Kieran O’Leary, Daithi Casey and John Payne all entering the fray to put their collective experience to good use.
And it almost worked. With Tony Brosnan lethal from placed balls and Micheál Burns continuing to make a huge impact, Crokes were a point to the good with both sets of supporters eyeing the turnstiles but possession was lost an dit resulted in Peter Og McCartan pouncing for a last gasp point to level it at 0-16 to 1-13.
That man again, Brian Looney, almost pounced for what would have been a sensational Crokes goal seven minutes into overtime but his effort was tipped over the crossbar by Darragh McAnenly and the 37-year-old playmaker sustained a knock in the process.

Looney’s influence was certainly missed when he limped towards the sideline in the second period and with Crokes running out of steam and time, a well-struck goal from midfielder Joe Oguz, who picked his spot and fired beyond Murphy’s reach, put a crucial three points between the sides.
Points from Ruairi Canavan, Ben McDonnell and substitute Mark Kavanagh piled on the misery as the game reached its conclusion and an excellent goal from the reintroduced Charlie Keating – booting the ball through a crowded goalmouth following good work by Mikey Potts and Kieran O’Leary – came too late and had little impact apart from adding a little gloss to the final scoreline which read 1-18 to 2-18.
So another epic journey ends for Dr Crokes and, while there will be an understandable sense of upset with thoughts turning to what might have been, they can take real consolation from the fact that the finished the season as Kerry SFC champions, Kerry Club Championship winners, County League Division 1 winners and Munster Club champions.
Not a bad haul by any standard and certainly there’s no need to hang the ‘house private’ sign on the door of the Lewis Road clubhouse tonight.
Dr Crokes scorers: Tony Brosnan 0-8 (0-7 frees): Micheal Burns 0-5 (01 free); Charlie Keating 1-0; Brian Looney 0-2: Cian McMahon 0-1 Mark O’Shea 0-1; David Shaw 0-1.
Errigan Ciarán scorers: Darragh Canavan 1-6; Ruairi Canavan 0-7 (0-3 frees); Joe Oguz 1-1; Paraigh McGirr 0-1 Pat McCartan 0-1; Ben McDonnell 0-1; Mark Kavanagh 0-1.
Dr Crokes: Shane Murphy, Evan Looney, Fionn Fitzgerald, Maidhci Lynch, Charlie Keating, Gavin White, Brian Looney, Mark O’Shea, Mikey Potts, Micheál Burns, Gavin O’Shea, Tom Doyle, Tony Brosnan, David Shaw, Cian McMahon.
Subs: Kieran O’Leary for Tom Doyle; Daithi Casey for Cian McMahon; John Payne for Charlie Keating; David Naughton for Mikey Potts; Alex Hennigan for David Shaw; Cian McMahon for Micheál Burns (inj); Mikey Potts for Brian Looney (inj); David Shaw for Gavin O’Shea; Charlie Keating.
KillarneyToday.com: Your quality online daily news service. Call 087-2229761 or email news@killarneytoday.com