Jack with a Savage dozen helps O’Rahilly’s defeat Crokes

SAVAGE DOZEN: Jack Savage of Kerins O’Rahilly's kicked 12 points against Dr Crokes. File Pic: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus Ltd

Kerry Petroleum Senior Club Football Championship Group B Round 1 

Kerins O’Rahilly’s 0-23 Dr Crokes 1-16

In what developed as a shootout between intercounty colleagues Jack Savage and Tony Brosnan for their respective sides, Kerins O’Rahilly’s edged out Dr Crokes in this opening round Group B Senior Club Football Championship clash.

Now Crokes, along with the other fancied sides, Austin Stacks, Dingle and Kenmare Shamrocks face must win games next weekend if they are to avoid being in a relegation dog fight, and dropping out of the senior championship in 2023.

A haul of twelve points from Jack Savage inspired Kerins O’Rahilly’s to a four-point victory over a Dr Crokes outfit that had Tony Brosnan in equally influential form as he struck for a goal and nine points in the glorious sunshine at Castleisland Desmonds pitch.

While it was nonstop attacking football with a bit of needle thrown in for good measure, Crokes will be wondering how they scored 1-16 and still lost the game. In mitigation Crokes were without keeper Shane Murphy and Kerry star Gavin White and they were in trouble with their kick-outs, especially in the opening half.

Kerins O’Rahilly’s raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after five minutes with Jack Savage contributing all four (three frees) while Brian Looney had Crokes sole reply.

Even at this early stage in was obvious that it was going to be an end-to-end classic and in the eighth minute Tony Brosnan weaved his way through for a superb goal for Crokes.

Brosnan and Tom Hoare traded scores but then Strand Road struck for three points on the bounce, before Tony Brosnan replied from a mark for the Crokes. With sixteen minutes gone Kerins O’Rahilly’s led by 0-8 to 1-3, of this frantic battle.

Strand Road added four more points before the half time break with Gavin O’Brien’s solo score in the 31st minute the pick of the bunch, whilst Dr Crokes, with Mark O’Shea and David Shaw becoming more influential around the middle, added three from Cillian O’Regan, and two from Brosnan as the Tralee side led 0-12 to 1-6 at the interval.

Dr Crokes started the second half with a flourish and had two on the bounce from Burns and Brosnan (free), before Savage and Brosnan, from a placed ball, once more swapped scores.

By the 39th minute Dr Crokes were just a single point behind, 1-10 to 0-14, but Stand Road got a bit of a run on their opponents with Jack Savage and his brother Gearóid kick some fine points but Crokes, thanks to Tony Brosnan free, and a Micheal Burns special, brought them back to within two points with nine left to play. But Kerins O’Rahilly’s with Cormac Coffey hitting three on the trot was enough to see his side over the line.

Scorers for Kerins O’Rahilly’s: J Savage (0-12, 10 frees), G Savage (0-4), C Coffey (0-3), G O’Brien (0-2), T Hoare and T Walsh (0-1 each).

Scorers for Dr Crokes: T Brosnan (1-9, 4f’s, 1m), C McMahon and M Burns (0-2 each), D Shaw, B Looney and C O’Regan (0-1 each). 

KERINS O’RAHILLY’S: S Foley; D Buckley, R O’Callaghan, C Coffey; D McElligott, S Brosnan, P Neenan; S Walsh, D Moran; T Hoare, J Savage, G O’Brien; G Savage, T Walsh, B J Keane.

Subs: B Hanafin for BJ Keane (inj, 30), TJ Heaphy for S Brosnan (36), D O’Sullivan for D Buckley (51), D Bowler for G Savage (61).

DR CROKES: B Falvey; B Fitzgerald, N O’Shea, M Potts; C O’Regan, F Fitzgerald, E Looney; M O’Shea, D Shaw; L Randles, M Burns, B Looney; T Brosnan, T Doyle, M Casey.

Subs: C McMahon for M Casey (H/T), B Courtney for L Randles (36), J Payne for B Fitzgerald (56).

Referee: Padraig O’Sullivan (Firies).