I feared the worst, admits Casey

DÁITHÍ CASEY joked that he may need a few bodyguards the next time he ventures down a UCC corridor.

The former UCC student may have inspired the Cork college to Sigerson Cup and Cork senior titles this year but the Dr Crokes ace shot down his old colleagues with 2-3 in yesterday’s Munster final.

Having helped UCC to two trophies this year, Crokes duo Casey and Johnny Buckley, played key roles in the Cork college’s first defeat in 17 games, with Casey scoring goals in each half while Buckley impressed around midfield.

Casey said: “It was always going to be a tough day for me and Johnny but at the same time it’s important to have bragging rights over them. UCC are a great team. I know first-hand just how hard they work and their great team ethic. We knew it was going to be tough.”

And Casey feared the worst when UCC surged five points clear in the opening half.

“I was very worried when Stephen O’Brien scored their goal in the first half. Thankfully, Kieran O’Leary hit back with a goal for us straightaway, which helped us big-time. They didn’t get too much of a lead on us, we clawed them back and then in the second half we played really well for around 15 minutes.”

Searching for a reason to explain why Crokes struggled at stages in the first half, Casey offered: “We weren’t calm in front of goal and we didn’t take our scores. There were a few nerves there and a few of us were a bit jittery on the ball, maybe because it was a Munster final. But Gooch settled us down with a few quick points early in the second half and Brian Looney did the business as well. We got vital scores at vital times.”

On man-of-the-match Looney, Casey said: “I thought that in the middle 10 minutes of the second half he was outstanding. He kicked four vital points in the second half that seemed to turn the tide. When we needed someone to stand up, Looney did. He was excellent.”

Having lost the Munster final to Nemo Rangers in January, this was a day of redemption for Casey and company.

The 21-year-old admitted: “This is very special. It compares with any of the two Kerry county championships we have won over the last two years. We let ourselves down against Nemo last year and that was a defeat that hurt because we didn’t do ourselves justice. I’d like to think that we have righted the wrongs of last year, and hopefully we can keep going.”

Manager Harry O’Neill was full of praise for corner-forward Jamie Doolan, whose unselfishness was key to the triumph.

“Jamie won every ball that came his way and he set up some wonderful scores with his vision and excellent passing,” O’Neill said. “I also felt that Shane Myers and Fionn Fitzgerald closed up the space around midfield. We also pushed Eoin Brosnan out on JB Spillane because UCC use him a lot but that half-back line was key. It laid the foundations for victory.”