Crokes keep unbeaten run going with victory over misfiring Kerins O’Rahillys

TANGLED UP IN BLUE: Gavin White of Dr Crokes is tackled by Gearoid Savage, Kerins O'Rahillys in Killarney on Saturday. Photo: macmonagle, killarney

Kerry Petroleum Senior Club Championship Group B RD 2 

Dr Crokes 2-11 Kerins O’Rahillys 0-05 

Dr Crokes kept up their unbeaten start to the Kerry Senior Club Championship following a strong second-half performance that has them top of their group on four points.

Cian McMahon netted an important goal inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half, Mark O’Shea added a second on the hour mark, but Crokes by then had put the game beyond a struggling Strand Road side.

Rahilly’s took a slender 0-3 to 0-2 lead to the break, only notching two scores in the second half, and there was also three red cards late on in the tie. Diarmuid O’Sullivan was first to go on a second yellow and then when Con Barrett hauled down a Crokes player with a head-high challenge, Kieran O’Leary reacted in retaliation and referee Billy O’Shea sent both to the line with straight reds before blowing the final whistle. 

But it was not a feisty game, in fact it was flat and littered with errors on both sides in the opening half, though it improved markedly in the second with Crokes much the better side.

Rahilly’s started much the better of the sides with Tom Hoare converting a free four minutes in. Crokes looked a shade of their former selves as they were wasteful in front of the posts. An error from Robert O’Connor’s kickout then saw Mikey Casey level the tie 17 minutes in at a point each.

Cormac Coffey and Conor Hayes helped drive on the Strand Road men into a two-point lead 25 minutes in.

Crokes looked rattled but Michael Potts brought them within a point, as they trailed 0-3 to 0-2 at half time.

Brian Looney rolled back the years to level the contest three minutes into the second half, as the play improved but Ben Hanafin restored the Rahilly’s advantage before Billy Courtney and Casey kicked scores to give Crokes a 0-5 to 0-4 lead five minutes into the second period.

The Killarney side looked to have awakened in the early stages of the half, Looney notched a second point before Cian McMahon fired low to the net after a Micheal Burns assist. Courtney would soon after add a free, putting the Crokes men ahead 1-7 to 0-4.

David Moran ended a 17-minute wait for Rahilly’s to kick their second point of the second half, another former Kerry player taking scores was Kieran O’Leary, coming off the bench notching two frees. Tom Doyle also aiding a fine point as they looked comfortable toward the latter stages of the half.

Mark O’Shea finished off a well-worked Crokes move to net to add a second goal, and Crokes remain undefeated.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: M O’Shea, C McMahon (1-0 each), B Looney, M Casey (0-2 each) B Courtney (0-2, 1 45’), K O’Leary (2F), D Casey (1F), M Potts and T Doyle (0-1 each) Scorers for Kerins O’Rahillys: T Hoare (0-1, 1f), C Coffey, C Hayes, B Hanafin, D Moran (0-1 each) DR CROKES: S Murphy; J Payne, N O’Shea, D Naughton; C Keating, G White, E Looney; M O’Shea, D Shaw; B Courtney, M Burns, B Looney; M Casey, T Doyle, M Potts.

Subs: C McMahon for Potts (HT), M Fitzgerald for J Payne (39), F Fitzgerald for N O’Shea (47), K O’Leary for D Shaw (50), D Casey for C Keating (59) 

KERINS O’RAHILLYS: R O’Connor, J Foley, R O’Callaghan, D McElligott, S McElligott, C Barrett, C Coffey; D Moran, D O’Sullivan; B Hanafin, C Hayes, T Hoare, S Brosnan, BJ Keane, G Savage Subs: D Bowler for B Hanafin (42), D O’Connor for BJ Keane (47), S McElligott for P Griffin (49), S Hayes for C Walsh (54), C O’Sullivan for G Savage (54) 

Referee: B O’Shea (Keel)