Kerry Club title No 11 for Dr Crokes as eyes turn to blue riband

CLUB CHAMPIONS: Dr Crokes captain David Naughten lifts the Michael O'Connor cup after the Kerry Senior Club Football Championship final victory over Dingle. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Kerry Club SFC final: Dr Crokes 1-15 Dingle 0-11 

AN ELEVENTH Kerry Club SFC title for Dr Crokes and if it wasn’t quite of the do-as-they-pleased variety, the Killarney men never relinquished the whip hand. It begs the obvious question: are one of the true powerhouses of Kerry football back on their perch heading into the county championship next week?

If Pat O’Shea’s side do not make it a double with a first Bishop Moynihan since 2018, it will certainly road test them for provincial duties in the late autumn if they are Kerry’s representatives.

Micheal Burns spent much of the summer in the US having given up on the inter-county trudge in the spring. His effect on this Dr Crokes team was there for all to see in Tralee, linking the thirds of the field with energy and smarts. He added four points to his body of work, and was getting stronger as the final progressed.

His attacking compadre, Tony Brosnan, claimed nine points and was back to his sharpest as the point of the spear.

When the sides met at the same venue in the group phase Paul Geaney posted 2-7 and Kerry’s Tom O’Sullivan tagged his inter-county colleague Brosnan to telling effect. Act II and a different scenario unfolded once it was confirmed that Dingle defender O’Sullivan would miss out with a hamstring injury.

By the break, Brosnan had scored five points, four of them from play, even though he was covered by two Dingle defenders. At the other end Gavin White had a far tighter rein on Paul Geaney, though the Kerry attacker almost slalomed through for a goal just before the break.

Tony Brosnan of Dr Crokes in action against Conor Flannery of Dingle during the Kerry Senior Club Football Championship final. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Crokes 1-7 to 0-5 half time lead could and should have been greater. Cian McMahon ghosted in behind the Dingle cover in the 6th minute to goal at the second attempt, but nineteen minutes in, they had a more presentable opening when Micheal Burns found Gavin O’Shea with an angled ball and after sidestepping the keeper, the umpire was reaching for the green flag when Niall Geaney performed a super rescue act to prevent the second goal.

As clinical as Crokes were otherwise, defending Club SFC champions Dingle are a different animal these days. Goalscorer McMahon added a fine Crokes point in the 12th minute to push them 1-4 to 0-1 in front, but the Geaneys – Conor, Mikey and Dylan – made it a one score game midway through the half.

Crokes don’t do panic, mind. They patiently waited for the Brosnan moves to find their score-getter and he obliged with a tidy finish on his right side. Burns kicked a fine score before Brosnan re-established a six-point gap in the 20th minute. 

It was 1-7 to 0-5 at the half but Burns was only warming up. He foraged across the field in the third quarter as Crokes denied Dingle the momentum they needed from a comeback surge. 

The five-point interval gap was only breached momentarily, despite a second half kicking exhibition off both sides from Dingle’s Dylan Geaney. Two of his scores made it a for point game 1-10 to 0-9 on 49 minutes but that was as close as Dingle got. 

Mark O’Shea, Brian Looney and Burns all won frees that official man of the match Brosnan converted from frees. As Dingle frustration grew, corner back Conor Flannery was red carded for an off the ball foul on... yes, Micheal Burns.

Scorers for Dr Crokes: T Brosnan (0-9, 5 frees), M Burns (0-4, 1 free), C McMahon (1-1), E Looney (0-1).

Scorers for Dingle: D Geaney (0-5), P Geaney (0-3, 1 free), C Geaney (0-2), M Geaney (0-1).

DR CROKES: S Murphy; N O’Shea, F Fitzgerald, E Looney; C Keating, G White, B Looney; M O’Shea, M Potts; M Burns, G O’Shea, T Doyle; T Brosnan, D Shaw, C McMahon.

Subs: J Payne for N O’Shea (inj, 35); K O’Leary for Doyle (54), D Naughten for McMahon (62), M Cooper for Potts (64).

DINGLE: G Curran; C Flannery, C O’Sullivan, S Og Moran; N Geaney, T Leo O’Sullivan, D O’Sullivan; B O’Sullivan, B O’Connor; Brian O’Connor, P Geaney, M Geaney; D Geaney, C Geaney, C Bambury.

Subs: M O’Flaherty for Brian O’Connor (49), M Flannery for Moran (51), T de Brun for D O’Sullivan (57), B Kelleher for C Geaney (62) Referee: S Mulvihill (St Senan’s)