Sean O'Shea stars as Kenmare Shamrocks upset Crokes to claim final spot
HIGH AND MIGHTY: Kenmare Shamrocks' Sean O'Shea outjumps Dr Crokes Brian Looney in Killarney on Saturday. Picture Don MacMonagle
Sean O’Shea was at his sparkling best as Kenmare Shamrocks overcame the odds against favourites Dr Crokes to book their place in the Kerry Senior Club Championship final.
A well deserved result in truth for Kenmare, O’Shea a crucial asset in their win, their direct running style was pivotal also.
Micheál Burns was the man of the moment for Crokes, 0-7 of their 0-12 tally coming from the forward. But Kenmare now await either Spa or Dingle in the decider next Friday night.
Kenmare started brightly with O’Shea putting them into a two-point lead. Crokes pulled back into the tie through Burns to level matters six minutes in, converting two frees.
Running at pace looked to be the gameplan for Kenmare. Kevin Sullivan was at the end of a darting move, he found David Ciuciu steamrolling through the Crokes rearguard and he finished low to the net for a 1-2 to 0-2 lead after eight minutes.
Burns was pulling the strings for Crokes, another two frees reduced arrears to a single point. At the other end however the long ball into O’Shea was a killer, the effectiveness allowed the Kenmare sharpshooter to convert his second mark in the quarter.
Burns brought the game back to a point but the O’Shea brothers Sean and Dara found their range to put Kenmare into a 1-7 to 0-6 lead by the 22nd minute.
Billy Courtney and Tom Doyle looked to kickstart a strong finish to the half for the Crokes, Cian McMahon almost rattled the net but a terrific stop from Kieran Fitzgibbon denied him. That was a pivotal moment in the half, another arrived at the death when Shane Murphy made an excellent save to prevent Michael McCarthy’s effort rippling the Crokes net.
Early in the second half Crokes kicked four wides in a row before Cian McMahon found the posts to make it a one-point game. However Daitihí Casey getting a black card soon after changed the mood with Kenmare taking control with a flurry of points to lead 1-10 to 0-10 at the end of the third quarter.
Burns again floated a free over the posts, but Kenmare kept plugging away and through Tommy O’Sullivan (Atlantic) and sweetly struck 45 from O’Shea, Kenmare found themselves ahead by five going into the final 10 minutes.
Despite the best efforts of Kieran O’Leary and Mark O’Shea adding late points, Stephen O’Brien kicked a crucial point in the 58th minute to put the margin to four, he soon made it five in added time.
: S O’Shea (0-8, 4f, 2m, 45’), D Ciuciu (1-0), S O’Brien (0-2), D Hallissey, D O’Shea, J Lehane, T O’Sullivan (Atlantic) (0-1 each) Scorers for Dr Crokes: M Burns (0-7, 4fs), K O’Leary (0-1, 1f), B Courtney, T Doyle, C McMahon and M O’Shea (0-1 each) : K Fitzgibbon, D Crowley, T O’Sullivan, C O’Sullivan; D O’Shea, T Cronin, D O’Connor; D Hallissey, J McCarthy; D Ciuciu, S O’Shea, J Lehane; S O’Brien, K O’Sullivan, M McCarthy.
Subs: P O’Connor for M McCarthy (39), T O’Sullivan (Atlantic) for D Hallissey (46), S O’Sullivan for D O’Connor (50), J O’Regan for D Ciuciu (52), D Allman for J Lehane (58)
S Murphy; J Payne, M Fitzgerald, D Naughton; C Keating, F Fitzgerald, E Looney; M O’Shea, D Shaw; B Courtney, M Burns, B Looney; M Casey, T Doyle, C McMahon.
Subs: D Casey for D Shaw (27), G O’Shea for B Courtney (27), K O’Leary for M Casey (38), M Potts for B Looney (46)
: D Clifford (Laune Rangers)
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