'Our lads are experienced enough at this stage' - Dr Crokes control tempo, keep Kenmare at arm's length
ON TARGET: Dr Crokes' David Shaw clips over a point despite the best efforts of Kenmare defender Cian O'Sullivan in Sunday's Kerry Club SFC semi-final at Austin Stack Park in Tralee. Pic: Don MacMonagle
WHEN All-Ireland winning midfielder Mark O’Shea contemplated what a Kerry Club SFC final duel might look like, he imagined squaring up with Joe O’Connor and Austin Stacks. Instead it’s another Kerry midfield colleague, Diarmuid O’Connor, O’Shea and Dr Crokes will face next Sunday in the decider at Austin Stacks Park.
If Na Gaeil’s progress to the final has raised eyebrows, no-one will be remotely surprised that Crokes have advanced to another final. Last year’s treble winners in the Kingdom – League Division 1, Club SFC and SFC – never hit the orchestral heights they are capable of here, but they always had enough in hand to see off Sean O’Shea’s Kenmare Shamrocks.
It looked as routine as autumn rain at the break with Crokes 0-11 to 0-4 in front, but the semi-final found a pulse 20 seconds after half time when Kenmare’s electric inside forward Tom Murnane - anyone who can keep pace with Gavin White justifies the term - goaled for Shamrocks.
Game on? Not quite. By the 47th minute sub Paul O’Connor had Kenmare back within three points (0-14 to 1-8), but Crokes retained the facility to create and convert a scoring chance when they needed it. Cian McMahon and then Micheal Burns stretched the lead to four as the tied ticked down to its final ten minutes.
There was a late moment of alarm for Crokes when Kenmare corner back Tommy Cronin slalomed inside the small parallelogram, but keeper Shane Murphy was alert and alive to turn it around the post.
Reflected Crokes manager Andrew Kenneally: “There was a bit of shadow boxing going on in the first half. We knew what Kenmare had, and if we opened it up too early, we could be punished at the back as well. They have a lot of forward power.
“Our lads are experienced enough at this stage not to get stage fright when things get a little tight. You can be looking at the scoreboard but the game has to be played on the field.”
Only if Dr Crokes are successful next Sunday will they begin to contemplate another tour of the provincial campaign and potentially beyond. They lost an All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final earlier this year to Errigal Ciaran and that must still be gnawing away at them. How they would love a shot at going an extra step or two early in 2026.
There’s a lot of road to travel within Kerry before that can be contemplated, but Dr Crokes unquestionably have most of what they need in terms of personnel and big game experience.
A lot of Kenmare’s impetus naturally is sourced via centre forward Sean O’Shea who looked somewhat weary for this one. By comparison, Dr Crokes have a lot of arrows in their quiver and can spread the load evenly. They had six players in Tralee on Sunday who were part of Kerry’s All-Ireland final squad.
Gavin White can add an injection of pace on demand, as he did just before the break to give the Killarney men an 0-11 to 0-4 lead. Mark O’Shea, the midfielder, has matured impressively into the of doing the simple things well. Tony Brosnan, meanwhile had six points on the board after Crokes’ first half use of the breeze at Austin Stack Park, and he finished with 0-8.
The interesting thing is none of those impressed as much as Billy Courtney in the first period, the midfielder converting a pair of 45s with ease, and proving a redoubtable foil for O’Shea. Gavin O’Shea was busy around the middle third and Brian Looney has found a new lease of life on top of the one he had already discovered by dropping back as a half back sweeper.
Added Kenneally: “If you are going to be depending on the Kerry lads to dig you out of bother every time, you are going to be in trouble, so we need a full squad every day we go out.”
By the 40th minute, Crokes were still 0-14 to 1-5 to the good, but three Kenmare points on the spin from impressive centre back and Kerry Under 20 Darragh O’Connor, Sean O’Shea and a fine Paul O’Connor effort, edged their support closer to their seat edge.
However Crokes are good at this. They strode out into a 0-9 to 0-1 lead early doors, and Gavin White did another Kerry buzzer beater on the stroke of half time to set up Tony Brosnan for their eleventh point. Their decision-making is so impressive and when the questions came late on, they have the facility to dial down or increase to the game’s tempo to their whim.
McMahon and Burns (twice) took them to safe ground with points in the final six minutes.
T Brosnan (0-8, 1 2ptf), C. McMahon (0-2), B Courtney (0-2, 45s), M Burns (0-2), D Shaw, G O’Shea, T Doyle (0-1 each).
T Murnane (1-1), K O’Sullivan (0-2), D O’Connor, S O’Shea, S O’Brien, D O’Sullivan (free), J Tangney, P O’Connor (0-1 each).
S Murphy; M Potts, F Fitzgerald, N O’Shea; B Courtney, G White, E Looney; M O’Shea, D Shaw; M Burns, G O’Shea, B Looney; T Brosnan, T Doyle, C McMahon.
A Hennigan for Shaw (45), C Fitzgerald for Doyle (49), M Cooper for McMahon (56.
K Fitzgibbon; C O’Sullivan, J McCarthy, T Cronin; D O’Shea, D O’Connor, Z O’Shea; J Tangney, T. O’Sullivan; K O’Sullivan, S O’Shea, J O’Sullivan; S O’Brien, D O’Sullivan, T Murnane.
G Wharton for T O’Sullivan (half time); P O’Connor for Tangney (40), J Lehane for Wharton (51), D Crowley for C ‘Sullivan, E. McCarthy for D O’Sullivan (55).
: S Mulvihill (St Senan’s)
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