Kerry SFC Final

DR CROKES 1-15 DINGLE 0-12

By Paul Brennan at Austin Stack Park, Tralee

Already the team of the decade by some distance, Dr Crokes added a seventh title to the six already won since 2010 just to cement their reputation as undisputed kingpins of Kerry club football by beating a Dingle team still looking for their first county championship title since 1948.

It took Gavin White's 57th minute goal for the champions to really shake off a dogged Dingle team, but the champions were more measured throughout, and had more and better scoring options through their team.

Played in great spirit throughout, once Dr Crokes managed to curb the goal threat of Paul Geaney they were half way there. After that it just needed the champions star forwards - and White - to step up and raise the flags.

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

Dr Crokes played controlled 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 result for the champions who were winning their third consecutive title, with Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan came in to win their eighth county championship medal. The victory moves Dr Crokes to the top of the county's SFC roll of honour with 13 titles.

Little time to celebrate, however, as Crokes head to Tipperary next Sunday for a Munster Club quarter-final, but they will savour this title as much as any of the other six since 2010.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: David Shaw 0-4, Daithi Casey 0-4 (3fs), 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 (5fs), Tom O'Sullivan 0-2, Tomas Sheehy 0-1, Michael Geaney 0-1, Matthew Flaherty 0-1, Barry O'Sullivan 0-1

DR CROKES: Shane Murphy, John Payne, Michael Moloney, Fionn Fitzgerald, David O'Leary, Gavin White, Shane Doolan, Johnny Buckley, Daithi Casey, Micheal Burns, Gavin O'Shea, Brian Looney, David Shaw, Kieran O'Leary, Tony Brosnan.

Subs: Colm Cooper for G O'Shea (38), Alan O'Sullivan for D O'Leary (45), Jordan Kiely 0-01 for T Brosnan (50), Michael Potts for D Shaw (55), Eoin Brosnan for M Burns (62), Paul Clarke for K O'Leary (63)

DINGLE: Gavin Curran, Michael Flannery, Tom Leo O'Sullivan, Padraig O'Connor, Michael Begley, Tom O'Sullivan, Aidan O'Connor, Billy O'Connor, Barry O'Sullivan, Brian O'Connor, Michael Geaney, Paul Devane, Tomas Sheehy, Paul Geaney, Matthew Flaherty.

Subs: Eoin Murphy for P Devane (42), Brendan Kelliher for M Flannery (57), Conor Geaney for T Sheehy (63)

REFEREE: Seamus Mulvihill (St Senans).