Dr. Crokes too strong for Na Gaeil in Kerry Senior Club Football Final

Kerry Senior Club Football Championship Final

Dr Crokes 0-20 Na Gaeil 1-12

By Paul Brennan

Despite a late surge by Na Gaeil – playing in their first senior championship final – Dr Crokes retained their Kerry Senior Club Championship title with a little more ease than the five-point winning margin suggests.

Leading by seven points at half time, a lead they grew to 10 points by the 50th minute, Dr Crokes made it back-to-back titles with five to spare at the end, withstanding a late flurry of Na Gaeil scores – including a Diarmuid O’Connor goal – that was simply too little too late.

Kerry midfielder O’Connor gave Na Gaeil the lead inside 30 seconds but Dr Crokes were back on terms by the minute-mark through Tom Doyle, and then Tony Brosnan (who finished the game with eight points from play) struck for his first three scores by the seventh minute to set the champions on their way.

Brosnan’s Kerry team mate Gavin White utilised a stiff wind at Crokes’ backs to fire over a point and then followed with the first of two two-pointers as the Killarney men settled into their work.

White’s second orange flag made it 0-10 to 0-2 after 20 minutes, before O’Connor flashed a shot over the crossbar with a touch from Crokes goalkeeper Shane Murphy to be sure.

Brosnan converted two more points late in the half – either side of a James O’Connor point for Na Gaeil – to see the champions lead 0-12 to 0-5 at the interval. It was a fully merited lead and one that looked like it would be sufficient despite having to play into the wind in the second half.

Brosnan's point stretched the lead within 25 seconds of the restart, and Crokes powered on from there, with Mark O’Shea, Brian Looney, White and Burns doing most of the heavy lifting that was required.

By the 50th minute the lead was 10 points, 0-18 to 0-8, but then O’Connor reacted best to a dropping ball that came off the post to punch past Murphy, and when Jack Sheehan swished over a two-pointer the lead was down to four, 1-12 to 0-19.

But the clock was running down too, Alex Hennigan settled it all down with a Dr Crokes point, and the silverware was on its way back to Killarney.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: T Brosnan 0-8, G White 0-6 (2tp), M Burns 0-2, T Doyle, C McMahon, B Looney, A Hennigan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Na Gaeil: D O’Connor 1-2, J Sheehan 0-5 (1tp), A Barry, N O’Mahony, J O’Connor, O Maunsell, S O’Connor 0-1 each.

DR CROKES: Shane Murphy, Michael Potts, Fionn Fitzgerald, Neil O’Shea, Billy Courtney, Gavin White, Evan Looney, Mark O’Shea, Billy Courtney, Micheál Burns, Gavin O’Shea, Brian Looney, Tony Brosnan, Tom Doyle, Cian McMahon. Subs: Kieran O’Leary for T Doyle (inj, 40), Mark Cooper for C Fitzgerald (45), Alex Hennigan for C McMahon (55), David Shaw for M Burns (60).

NA GAEIL: Conor Bohane; Niall O’Mahoney, Stefan Okunbor, Enda O’Connor; Jack Doyle, Andrew Barry, Fergal Barry; Jack Barry, Diarmuid O’Connor; James O’Connor, Oisín Maunsell, Tomás O hAiniféin; Peter Doyle, Dara Devine, Jack Sheehan. Subs: Kieran O’Connor for D Devine (40), Darragh Reen for P Doyle (40), Eoin Doody for O’Mahony (43), Sean O’Connor for T O hAiniféin (49).

REFEREE: Brendan Griffin