Dr Crokes 1-15

Dingle 0-12

Paul Brennan reports from Austin Stack Park

NOT THAT THEY needed another county title to consolidate their status as the undisputed market leaders of Kerry club football, but Dr Crokes added a seventh title to the six already won since 2010 to cement their reputation as undisputed kingpins of Kerry club football after they beat Dingle by six points in today’s county final.

After the last couple of heated Sundays at Austin Stack Park this final was played in the right spirit, and it was Crokes’ more measured approach and more scoring outlets that was the difference. Once Dr Crokes managed to curb the goal threat of Paul Geaney they were halfway there, and it was left to the next generation of Crokes footballers – David Shaw, Tony Brosnan and Gavin White – to raise the flags.

To Dingle’s credit they stayed in contention throughout a tense, tactical game, and it took White’s goal in the 57th minute for Crokes to put meaningful distance between the teams. The game’s only goal made it 1-14 to 0-12, and with Dingle playing with a man less since the 51st minute there was no way back for them.

Paul Geaney’s first minute free had put Dingle into an early lead and they looked settled and composed 0-2 to 0-1 after five minutes but then Dr Crokes found their rhythm and reeled off the next seven points without reply with David Shaw kicking three excellent points from play and Tony Brosnan mining two from play.

The champions played controlled and patient football in that 15-minute period forcing Dingle to drop numbers back into defence but Crokes were still able to find the openings to pick off their points.

It was 0-8 to 0-2 to Crokes when Kerry defender Tom O’Sullivan kicked Dingle’s third point, and that snapped his colleagues back into focus; three more points followed in the last five minutes of the half to bring the West Kerry side right back into contention at 0-8 to 0-6 at half time.

Matthew Flaherty’s point cut the gap to one but Crokes could always engineer scores easier and points from Shaw, White, Johnny Buckley and Daithi Casey had them 0-13 to 0-9 ahead after 48 minutes and 0-14 to 0-11 ahead after 51 minutes when Dingle had corner back Padraig O’Connor sent off for a second yellow.

White’s goal sealed the deal as Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan came on to win their eight county championship medals, while this victory moves Dr Crokes to the top of the county’s SFC roll of honour with 13 titles.

It also sets them up for a trip to Tipperary next Sunday for a Munster Club quarter-final, but they will savour this title as much as any any of the other six since 2010. It certainly was one of the hardest to win.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: David Shaw 0-4, Daithi Casey 0-4 (0-3f), Gavin White 1-1, Tony Brosnan 0-2, Johnny Buckley 0-1, Gavin O’Shea 0-1, Brian Looney 0-1, Jordan Kiely 0-1.

Scorers for Dingle: Paul Geaney 0-6 (0-5f), Tom O’Sullivan 0-2, Tomas Sheehy 0-1, Michael Geaney 0-1, Matthew Flaherty 0-1, Barry O’Sullivan 0-1.

Dr Crokes

1. Shane Murphy

2. John Payne
3. Michael Moloney
4. Fionn Fitzgerald

5. David O’Leary
6. Gavin White
7. Shane Doolan

8. Johnny Buckley
9. Daithi Casey

10. Micheal Burns
11. Gavin O’Shea
12. Brian Looney

18. David Shaw
14. Kieran O’Leary
15. Tony Brosnan

Subs:

13. Colm Cooper for G O’Shea (38)
17. Alan O’Sullivan for D O’Leary (45)
20. Jordan Kiely for T Brosnan (50)
19. Michael Potts for D Shaw (55)
22. Eoin Brosnan for M Burns (62)
21. Paul Clarke for K O’Leary (63)

Dingle

1. Gavin Curran

2. Michael Flannery
3. Tom Leo O’Sullivan
4. Padraig O’Connor

5. Michael Begley
6. Tom O’Sullivan
7. Aidan O’Connor

8. Billy O’Connor
9. Barry O’Sullivan

10. Brian O’Connor
11. Michael Geaney
12. Paul Devane

13. Tomas Sheehy
14. Paul Geaney
15. Matthew Flaherty

Subs

17. Eoin Murphy for P Devane (42)
18. Brendan Kelliher for M Flannery (57)
24. Conor Geaney for T Sheehy (63)

Referee: Seamus Mulvihill (St Senans)

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