Brosnan shines brightest again for Crokes

Kieran O'Neill Templenoe clears his line despite pressure from Dr Crokes' Brian Looney and Chris Doncel during their Kerry SFC Quarter Final at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney on Sunday. 

Kerry SFC

Dr Crokes 1-16 Templenoe 0-11 

Wherever Kerry manager Peter Keane tuned into this game via live stream, he can’t but have taken note of Tony Brosnan’s display.

For the second weekend in a row, Brosnan was the standout Crokes performer, his 2-10 against Austin Stacks in the opening round followed by eight points here.

Most impressive about Brosnan’s display yesterday was that of his four placed-ball efforts, two were marks and he won one of the frees he converted. It must also be noted he was given no easy ride at Fitzgerald Stadium given he had Kerry defender Tadhg Morley for close company.

Has there been another forward as clinical as Brosnan during the opening two rounds of the Kerry championship? Hardly.

For the opening 15 minutes of this county quarter-final, it wasn’t so much Crokes versus Templenoe as it was Brosnan versus Killian Spillane. The latter, who was giving Fionn Fitzgerald a torrid time, kicked five points, three from play, while down the other end, Brosnan, who had Morley in all sorts of bother, raised four white flags.

Micheál Burns’ 20th-minute point was the first score of the game not to come from the boot of either of the aforementioned pair.

The problem for Templenoe was that Spillane drifting out of proceedings in the second period acted as a microcosm for the team as a whole falling off the pace, Crokes pulling further and further clear the longer the game went on.

From the four quarter-final fixtures across the weekend, Crokes - for the second year running - were the sole club side to secure a semi-final spot. And they’ll be stronger again come the penultimate round given Gavin White, who missed their win over Stacks because of injury, played the full second-half yesterday. In light of the two-week gap to the semis, he should be in a position to line out from the off against whoever they draw this evening.

With the sides level on six occasions during the opening 22 minutes, Crokes succeeded in putting the smallest bit of daylight between themselves and last year's intermediate champions when kicking five in a row to move from one in arrears to 0-10 to 0-6 in front as half-time beckoned.

Kieran O’Leary, Brosnan, Chris Doncel, and the lively Burns were on target during this spell of Crokes dominance and although Templenoe pointed either side of half-time to halve the deficit to 0-10 to 0-8, that was as close as they would come of their opponents for the remainder of proceedings.

Brosnan and Burns continued to torment the opposition defence and it was the former who put possession on a plate for Gavin White who then had the simplest of tasks of palming the ball to the net for the game’s sole major on 59 minutes.

The green flag capped an unanswered 1-3 from the 2018 champions. Their dominance during the final quarter is captured in the stat which shows Templenoe - who withdrew Adrian Spillane on 48 minutes - did not add to their tally between the 42nd and 64th minute.

When these two teams met in the club championship earlier in the summer, Crokes won by 11. And while the gap wasn’t quite as substantial here, there was no change to the end outcome.

Templenoe will absolutely take heart from the manner in which they acquitted themselves during their maiden journey in the county senior championship. They’re not the first to fall to Crokes, and it is unlikely they’ll be the last where 2020 is concerned.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: T Brosnan (0-8, 0-2 marks, 2 frees); M Burns (0-4, 1 '45); G White (1-0); K O’Leary (0-2); C Doncel, B Looney (0-1 each).

Scorers for Templenoe: K Spillane (0-6, 0-2 frees); A Spillane (0-2); S O’Sullivan (0-1 mark), T Doyle, B Crowley (0-1 each).

DR CROKES: S Murphy; F Fitzgerald, C Fitzgerald, D Naughton; M Moloney, D O’Leary, M Potts; J Buckley, M O’Shea; B Looney, G O’Shea, M Burns; B Courtney, T Brosnan, C Doncel.

Subs: K O’Leary for Courtney (17 mins); G White for Doncel (HT); J Payne for D O’Leary (56); A O’Sullivan for Buckley, C O’Regan for Potts (both 61).

TEMPLENOE: M Looney; K O’Neill, T Morley, G Crowley; J Rice, M Reilly, T Spillane; S Sheehan, A Spillane; C Crowley, T Doyle, J Crowley Holland; S O’Sullivan, B Crowley, A Spillane.

Subs: K McCarthy for T Spillane (36 mins); P Clifford for A Spillane (48, inj); D Cahalane for Reilly (54); C Hallissey for O’Sullivan (57); D Crowley for Sheehan (61).

Referee: S Mulvihill.