Kerry Club SFC: Templenoe shock Dr Crokes as Spa record historic win

Templenoe goalscorer Brian Crowley. File photo: Don MacMonagle

Group 2 of the Kerry Senior Club Football Championship was thrown wide open when Templenoe took down Dr Crokes at home and Spa fought back to beat Kenmare Shamrocks away in Fr Breen Park.

Dr Crokes, who had comprehensively beaten Spa in their opening game, travelled to Templenoe carrying the favourites’ tag but the home side were two goals in front inside three minutes.

The first came after a Micheál Burns free came off the post and in a swift counter-attack, Kerry All-Ireland Junior medal winner Stephen O’Sullivan found the Crokes net. Then from the kickout Teddy Doyle sent in a long ball that came back off a post and Brian Crowley scored a second goal in a bizarre start to this contest.

Crokes steadied the ship with points from Jordan Kiely and Tony Brosnan and then Gavin White after a trademark run looked certain to get a goal back but Mark Looney saved brilliantly for Templenoe.

The home side led 2-3 to 0-3 at the water break but Dr Crokes were finding it tough against a Denis Moynihan coached Templenoe, for whom Tadgh Morley, Gavin Crowley and Sean Sheehan were superb at the back. The home side led 2-6 to 0-6 at half-time.

Crokes needed a good start to the second half but instead it was Teddy Doyle who scored a third Templenoe goal in 34th minute — 3-8 to 0-6 and Crokes had a mountain to climb.

To their credit, the introduction of David Shaw made a difference and a Tony Brosnan goal from the spot saw Templenoe’s lead cut to six (3-9 to 1-9) at the water break. Brosnan, who contributed 1-5, tried in vain to make further inroads, but the Templenoe defence held firm for a 3-9 to 1-10 win.

Kenmare Shamrocks were favourites to beat the new kids on the block Spa at home after beating Templenoe last weekend but lost by the minimum, 0-14 to 0-13.

Shamrocks led 0-5 to 0-3 at the first water break thanks to four Sean O’Shea points (3 frees) and a Kevin O’Sullivan effort from play, while Spa replied with two Evan Cronin frees and a Niall McCarthy point from play. Kenmare dominated the second quarter, adding points from O’Shea (2), Shane O’Sullivan and Dara Crowley but points from Niall McCarthy, Shane Cronin and Dara Moynihan saw the home side retire 0-9 to 0-6 in front.

Two Seanie O’Shea points and another from Paul O’Connor increased Kenmare’s lead to 0-12 to 0-7 but Shane Lynch and an Evan Cronin free left the home side leading 0-12 to 0-9 at the water break.

But Spa scored three points to level the contest by the 58th minute and Evan Cronin put them two clear in added time. Mark Crowley got a 67th-minute point that was too late as Spa recorded their first-ever senior win.