Dr Crokes 2-19
Kerins O’Rahilly’s 2-10

Paul Brennan reports from Austin Stack Park

DR CROKES’ TITLE defence remains on course after they eased into their third Kerry county final in a row on the back of a nine-point win over a Kerins O’Rahillys team that had beat them earlier in the Championship.

That surprise result in Round 2 added a little extra heat to this rematch with a few flashpoints breaking out in a game that wasn’t really decided until the game almost spilled into eight minutes of additional time at the end of the hour.

Dr Crokes were just a point to the good after 55 minutes before Jordan Kiely’s goal put the first bit of daylight between the teams since Gavin O’Brien’s goal for O’Rahillys after just 30 seconds. That Kiely goal was another damaging blow to the Tralee club who had lost Kerry panelist Jack Savage to a red card after 44 minutes, and Crokes smelled blood and went after it.

Brian Looney’s sending off in the 59th minute evened up the playing numbers for the last nine minutes but late points from Brosnan, Johnny Buckley and Kieran O’Leary, along with Kiely’s second goal fashioned by O’Leary, was enough for the champions to advance to the final with something to spare.

That O’Brien goal after just 30 seconds teed up a fascinating first half that saw the teams level, 0-6 to 1-3, after the first quarter. It looked as if Crokes would take a slim lead to the interval but O’Brien struck again for his second goal on the brink of the break to leave it honours even, 2-5 to 0-11, at half-time.

Colm Cooper came on at half-time but only lasted 15 minutes before being black carded just after Savage’s dismissal, at which stage the teams were still deadlocked, 0-14 to 2-8.

An injury to Kerry and Dr Crokes goalkeeper Shane Murphy punctuated the action for a while and when play resumed, Crokes hit O’Rahillys for 1-2 in a couple of minutes to open up a lead they wouldn’t lose again.

The county champions await the winner of next Sunday’s replay between East Kerry and Dingle, after they drew in the first semi-final earlier in the day.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: Tony Brosnan 0-6 (0-3f), Jordan Kiely 2-0, Kieran O’Leary 0-5, Johnny Buckley 0-2, Micheal Burns 0-2, David Shaw 0-2, Shane Murphy 0-1 ’45′, Brian Looney 0-1.

Scorers for Kerins O’Rahillys: Gavin O’Brien 2-1, Jack Savage 0-3f, Barry John Keane 0-2, David Moran 0-2 (1 ’45′), Karl Mullins 0-1, Tommy Walsh 0-1

Dr Crokes

1. Shane Murphy

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

17. Shane Doolan
6. Alan O’Sullivan
7. Gavin White

8. Johnny Buckley
9. Daithi Casey

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

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

Subs:

13. Colm Cooper for D Shaw (HT)
20. Jordan Kiely for G O’Shea (44)
19. Michael Potts for C Cooper (b/c, 48)
16. Johnny O’Leary for S Murphy (51)
22. Eoin Brosnan for M Burns (63)
29. Billy Courtney for T Brosnan (67)

Kerins O’Rahillys

1. Gary Kissane

2. Cormac Coffey
24. Darragh McElligott
4. Danny O’Sullivan

5. Ross O’Callaghan
6. Shane Brosnan
7. Ryan Carroll

8. David Moran
9. Con Barrett

10. Gavin O’Brien
11. Barry John Keane
12. Karl Mullins

13. Jack Savage
14. Tommy Walsh
15. John Ferguson

Subs:

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19. Tom Hoare for R Carroll (b/c, 8)
17. John C O’Connor for J Ferguson (55)
18. Gearoid Savage for D McElligott (61)
20. Padraig Griffin for G O’Brien (68)

Referee: Brendan Griffin (Clounmacon)

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