Dingle and Dr Crokes reach semi-finals after contrasting wins in Kerry Club SFC

Defending Kerry Senior Club Champions Dingle assured themselves of home advantage in next weekend’s semi-finals following a 1-14 to 0-5 victory away to Milltown/Castlemaine on Saturday afternoon. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Defending Kerry Senior Club Champions Dingle assured themselves of home advantage in next weekend’s semi-finals following a 1-14 to 0-5 victory away to Milltown/Castlemaine on Saturday afternoon. 

The Mid Kerry side was once again without Cillian Burke for proceedings and also lost influential midfielder Gavin Horan to injury before the break. They registered only one second-half point as they could not cope with both Paul Geaney and Barry Dan O’Sullivan dictating matters for the visitors.

Despite Dylan Geaney hitting the post with an open goal chance in the first period they still led by 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time as the only concern for them will be a number of injuries sustained for Tom O’Sullivan (apparent hamstring), Conor O’Sullivan and Mikey Geaney who only lasted 16 minutes as a 16th minute substitute.

Paul Geaney finished with 0-6 (5 frees). The Dingle goal came in the 57th minute when Dylan Geaney atoned for his earlier missed goal chance in going on a bursting run and passing to Cathal Bambury, who fisted the ball into the net to make it 1-12 to 0-5 at that point.

Barry Dan O’Sullivan pitched in with two points in an impressive personal display as they will enter next week hoping to have as full a deck as possible. Milltown/Castlemaine await Monday night’s Kerry SFC draw to see who they will face in their next game in five weeks (weekend of September 15th) as they will hope to have Burke and Horan back in their ranks by then.

Meanwhile in Tralee, Dr Crokes made extremely heavy weather of beating a Na Gaeil side that lost their two opening games, winning by four points 1-9 to 0-8. Na Gaeil set up defensively to frustrate the Crokes and for twenty minutes they achieved their objective as they led 0-5 to 0-2 thanks to three inspirational points from Kerry midfielder Diarmuid O’Connor and two from Abbeydorney County Champion winning hurler Tomas O hAinifein.

Dr Crokes opened up with two points from Tony Brosnan and Mikey Casey but found a resolute Na Gaeil defence hard to penetrate with Ryan O’Neill, the Barry brothers Andrew and Fergal along with Damien Bourke and Jack Doyle really defending manfully.

But eventually Crokes found a way in the final ten minutes of the half with Gavin White bursts creating space for points from Evan Looney, Tony Brosnan (2) and White himself.

Jack Doyle gave Na Gaeil a 0-6 to 0-5 lead approaching half time but Tony Brosnan leveled from a free as the sides retired on 0-6 apiece after a tough uncompromising half of football.

After Kieran O’Donovan had given Na Gaeil an early lead, there was some restlessness among the Crokes faithful but Gavin White and Daithi Casey were now in full flow and once Daithi Casey leveled the contest, Crokes upped the tempo.

Incredibly, for the second week in a row, Gavin White went on one of his trademark runs but once again crashed it off the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.

But the decisive and match winning score came in the 42nd minute when White and Evan Looney combined to release McMahon who showed great composure to slip the ball under Jack Rodgers to make it 1-7 to 0-7.

Brosnan and Ó hAinifein swapped points in the final quarter as Crokes looked to control the game Na Gaeil lost Diarmuid O’Connor to a leg injury in the last five minutes, though he picked up ten minutes earlier but played on at full forward while Evan Looney was dismissed for a black card on top on an earlier yellow in the 59th minute.

Dingle top the group and will play the runners up in group one while Crokes will play the winners of that group which will be Rathmore if they can avoid defeat at home to Spa on Sunday afternoon.