Goal blitz from Dr Crokes lands Kerry title in final against Dingle

Dr Crokes will play the Cork champions at the Munster quarter-final stage.

Fintan O'Toole Reports from Austin Stack Park

Dr Crokes 3-8

Dingle 0-11

IN A SHORT phase midway through the second half of this Kerry senior football decider, the momentum swung critically in the direction of Dr Crokes and it propelled them into the winners’ enclosure.

David Shaw, Kieran O’Leary, and Evan Looney all found the net between the 42nd and 48th minutes, the raising of those three green flags utterly transformed the complexion of this final and helped them fashion an eventual six-point success over Dingle.

It was a decisive spell after Dingle had been in front 0-6 to 0-4 at the break, Pat O’Shea’s side wrestling back control and managing the game successfully from there to land the title for the 14th time in the club’s history.

The West Kerry men were forced to suffer another final loss, as their wait since 1948 to land this crown, goes on. Shaw struck the first goal after Dingle were robbed of possession in defence, before the experienced O’Leary bundled home after the ball pinged around the Dingle rearguard and was not cleared. Looney, a bright young talent in Kerry football circles, lashed home a marvellous third goal after a surging run forward.

The wretched conditions set the tone for the battling nature of the contest from the off. The Austin Stack Park sod was drenched from pre-match showers and a strong wind blew down the field.

The half was split into two distinct phases of dominance, Dingle’s sharp start yielded four points from play inside the opening eight minutes of play. By the 19th minute they were 0-5 to 0-1 clear, but Dr Crokes gained a grip to rattle off three points in succession.

Gavin White marched forward to clip over two off his left, a source of inspiration that Dr Crokes needed with Tony Brosnan well marshalled by Kerry team-mate Tom O’Sullivan, while space was at a premium for the remainder of their attack.

Dylan Geaney popped over the last score of the half to leave Dingle ahead 0-6 to 0-4 at the break, and he had contributed half of the opening scoring tally the West Kerry men recorded.

Both teams would have felt they left scores behind them, Dr Crokes dropping four shots into the grateful arms of goalkeeper Gavin H. Curran, while Dingle underhit two shots themselves.

cathal-bambury-fionn-fitzgerald-and-mark-oshea Dingle's Cathal Bambury with Dr. Crokes Fionn Fitzgerald and Mark O'Shea.. Ken Sutton / INPHO Ken Sutton / INPHO / INPHO

The clearest sight of goal fell to Brian Looney who rushed through in the 22nd minute and unleashed a left-foot shot that careered across the goal and was narrowly wide. He was playing on an advantage at the time, and Michéal Burns tapped over the resultant free.

Dingle started the second half brightly, Dylan Geaney stylishly kicking over another point to stretch the gap to three.

But their hopes were sunk by the goal-scoring spree that Dr Crokes embarked on. After Shaw’s strike, Barry Dan O’Sullivan notched a point that edged Dingle back ahead, 0-8 to 1-4, yet the next two scores were goals for Dr Crokes and the Killarney men were not going to be overhauled from there.

Burns excelled in the finale, with man-of-the-match Looney and substitute O’Leary both showing up well also.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: David Shaw 1-1, Kieran O’Leary 1-1, Evan Looney 1-0, Michéal Burns 0-4 (0-1f), Gavin White 0-2.

Scorers for Dingle: Dylan Geaney 0-5, Paul Geaney 0-2 (0-1f), Tom O’Sullivan 0-1, Conor Geaney 0-1, Barry O’Sullivan 0-1, Cathal Bambury 0-1.

Dr Crokes

1. Shane Murphy

3. Fionn Fitzgerald, 2. Evan Looney, 24. John Payne

18. Maidhci Lynch, 6. Gavin White, 7. Brian Looney

8. Mark O’Shea, 5. Charlie Keating

10. Micheál Burns, 11. Gavin O’Shea, 15. Cian McMahon

13. Tony Brosnan, 12. Tom Doyle, 14. David Shaw

Subs

17. Kieran O’Leary for Doyle (36)
9. Michael Potts for Keating (36)
4. David Naughton for Lynch (52)
19. Daithi Casey for McMahon (56)

Dingle

1. Gavin H Curran

2. Conor Flannery, 3. Conor O’Sullivan, 4. Tom O’Sullivan

5. Brian O’Connor, 12, Niall Geaney, 7. Tom Leo O’Sullivan

8. Barry O’Sullivan, 9. Billy O’Connor

11. Matthew Flaherty, 14. Paul Geaney, 15. Tadhg Browne

13. Dylan Geaney, 6. Darragh O’Sullivan, 10. Cathal Bambury