Image source: Dr Crokes FB
A real poacher’s goal after just five minutes of play, with corner forward Cian McMahon applying the finish, gave Dr Crokes the decisive advantage and they went on to dominate Dingle to clinch the Kerry Senior Club Football Championship at Tralee’s Austin Stack Park this Sunday.
Crokes, with a just perfect blend of experience and young, were hell-bent on payback for the group stages loss to the West Kerry kingpins and they clearly had the edge all through this encounter, eventually emerging triumphant on a 1-15 to 0-11 scoreline.
It was their first senior club title success for six years and there were great celebrations when, fittingly, they brought the trophy dedicated to black and amber stalwart Michael O’Connor back in the direction of Lewis Road with a few pit-stops along the way.
McMahon’s early goal laid the foundation stone for this victory and with Tony Brosnan on fire – he kicked nine points with four from play – Dingle were always chasing the game.
Gavin White did a fine marking job on dangerman Paul Geaney and with Micheál Burns, veteran Brian Looney, rising stars Evan Looney and Charlie Keating all performing well, and towering midfielder Mark O’Shea again giving the watching Jack O’Connor plenty of food for thought, the Killarney side controlled the tempo of the game.
Pat O’Shea – still the most astute tactician in the game in this county – had his charges fired up for this challenge and they sounded a loud note that they will be a force to be reckoned with when the Bishop Moynihan Cup is taken out of the trophy cabinet back in Fossa and polished up for a new campaign.
Dingle, deprived of the services of the influential but injured Kerry star Tom O’Sullivan, clung on for much of the first half with just a point separating the sides but Crokes finished the half with a flourish with points from Brosnan and Burns giving them a 1-7 to0-5 interval advantage.
With Crokes always comfortable with the possession game they favour, Dingle laboured somewhat to make an impact on the scoreboard with the Killarney side capitalising on some indiscipline in the Dingle defence by picking off the scores when opportunities arose.
Brosnan, Burns, Evan Looney, Burns again and Brosnan again all found the target and by the time Conor Flannery was red carded for Dingle late on, the outcome was well and truly decided and the band was setting up its equipment for a long and loud night in the Tatler Jack.
Dr Crokes scorers: Tony Brosnan 0-9 (0-5 frees); Micheál Burns 0-4 (0-1 free); Cian McMahon 1-1; Evan Looney 0-1.
Dingle scorers: Dylan Geaney 0-5; Paul Geaney 0-3 (0-1 free); Conor Geaney 0-2; Mikey Geaney 0-1.
Dr Crokes: Shane Murphy, Evan Looney, Fionn Fitzgerald, Neil O’Shea, Michael Potts, Gavin White, Brian Looney, Mark O’Shea, Charlie Keating, Micheál Burns 0-4, Gavin O’Shea, Tom Doyle, Tony Brosnan, David Shaw, Cian McMahon.
Subs: John Payne for Neil O’Shea; Kieran O’Leary for Tom Doyle; David Naughten for Cian McMahon; Mark Cooper for Mikey Potts.
Dingle: Gavin Curran, Connor Flannery, Conor O’Sullivan, Seán Óg Moran, Niall Geaney, Tom Leo O’Sullivan, Darragh O’Sullivan, Barry O’Sullivan, Billy O’Connor, Brian O’Connor, Paul Geaney, Mikey Geaney, Dylan Geaney, Conor Geaney, Cathal Bambury.
Subs: Matthew Flaherty for Billy O’Connor; Micheal Flannery for Seán Óg Moran; Tadhg de Brún for Darragh O’Sullivan; Brendan Kelliher for Conor Geaney.
Referee: Seamus Mulvhill (St Senans).
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