Crokes belatedly find their range

Dr Crokes 0-14 Laune Rangers 1-03

It was only towards the end of this semi-final that the Killarney side’s attack played to maestro Colm Cooper’s tune and put behind them an otherwise forgettable shooting afternoon which saw them accumulate 13 wides.

Against a free goal-scoring Dingle in Sunday week’s final, they won’t get away with such wastefulness.

Also, their intensity will have to kick in a lot quicker than the last five minutes of the first half when Cooper ventured out field to dictate proceedings.

“We found it very hard to get going when they played an extra man in defence,” admitted Crokes manager Noel O’Leary. “They were very determined and it was very hard to get a rhythm going.

“We played them in the league a few weeks and they did the same thing. So we knew what to expect but we did not have Eoin Brosnan that day.

“We were happy to be knocking at the door in the opening half because we knew they would have to tire, such was the effort they were putting in.

“But I must say I don’t like this ‘parking the bus tactic’ in front of goal, because it rarely wins the day and it’s not very attractive to watch.”

However, there was more than enough evidence in the second-half when they were facing the wind to figure Crokes will find their groove to cement their dominance of the county.

Johnny Buckley was particularly impressive in midfield, his strength a huge asset, and Brosnan’s forays forward had purpose throughout.

But it was Cooper who stole the show with a dazzling array of shooting and foot-passing. His dummy solo may be the most famous piece of choreography in the game but so many fall for it and yesterday it provided him with enough space to pick off three of his four points from play.

Yet his best contribution to the game was a 48th minute foot-pass that had the Austin Stack crowd gasping in admiration.

Substitute Gavin O’Shea, who had seconds earlier collected a pin-point pass from Cooper to the chest, was the lucky recipient, the Kerry captain opening his body and kicking with the outside of his left boot to find his young team-mate in the inside line.

“Colm Cooper had a brilliant game,” gushed O’Leary. “Why was he the only Kerry All Star nominee? Why does every youngster in Ireland come to meet the Gooch?

“I hope Joe Brolly comes down to see the Gooch in the County final, though Joe has been doing well of late,” said O’Leary in reference to Brolly donating a kidney to a club-mate.

O’Shea’s score stretched Crokes’ lead to four points — 0-10 to 1-3 — and they were the only scorers in the remaining 13 minutes of the game, Dáithí Casey and Kieran O’Leary each adding two points to round out a pleasing second half display.

Yet before the break, Cooper cut a frustrated figure as ball was either over-cooked or misdirected although he almost had a goal to his name when his fisted effort from a Brosnan punt bounced against the post.

Laune Rangers availed of Crokes’ inaccuracy and scored the only goal of the game 10 minutes in when Mike Frank Russell squared a perfectly-weighed hand-pass into the path of the advancing Shane McSweeney.

As much as they had the wind to look forward to in the second-half, Rangers weren’t offering much up front aside from Russell’s ingenuity. Pa Joy was industrious yet his 24th minute point turned out to be their second and last score of the half.

After McSweeney’s goal had followed an early Dáithí Casey free, Cooper fired over one of his own following a foul on Leary and then Chris Brady pointed to level matters.

Altogether, Crokes wided on nine occasions in the first half but Brosnan pointed and then Cooper, finishing a nice one-two move with Brian Looney, put Crokes ahead at the interval, 0-5 to 1-1.

Cooper began the second half where he left off prior to the break and finished off a neat move with his right foot.

After a Russell free, Joy’s second point in the 41st minute made it level pegging but it turned out to be Rangers’ last score.

Cooper, with some stylish shimmying on both occasions, split the posts either side of a Casey free before he mailed O’Shea that delightful pass to push Crokes four ahead and they were in no mood to give any of it back.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: C Cooper (1 free) 0-5; D Casey (2 frees) 0-4; K O’Leary 0-2; C Brady, E Brosnan, G O’Shea 0-1 each.

Scorers for Laune Rangers: S McSweeney 1-0; P Joy 0-2; MF Russell (free) 0-1.

DR CROKES: D Moloney; J Payne, M Moloney, F Fitzgerald; S Myers, E Brosnan, L Quinn; A O’Donovan, J Buckley; K O’Leary, D Casey, B Looney; C Brady, C Cooper, J Doolan.

Subs: G O’Shea for Kenneally (h-t); S Doolan for Looney (47); D O’Leary for Myers (58); B Falvey for Brady (60).

LAUNE RANGERS: T Lyons; K Crowley, J Carey, J O’Callaghan; C Riordan, P Crowley, K Sheehan; J Sheehan, T McGillycuddy; S McSweeney, P Joy, P Sheehan; MF Russell, G Mahony, K Doona.

Subs: G Mahony for Hassett (36); J O’Connor for Sheehan (38); A Dunlea for Doona (45); J Lynch for McGillycuddy (53); C O’Shea for Dunlea (60).

Referee: Paul Hayes (Kerins O’Rahillys).