Rathmore clinch second ever Kerry club title with victory over wasteful Dr Crokes

Rathmore players celebrate their first Kerry club title in 15 years, led by Dan Murphy. Pic: David Ribeiro/Inpho

Kerry Club SFC final: Rathmore 2-10 Dr Crokes 0-12

A red-letter afternoon for Rathmore. The club’s second ever Kerry club title - and first in 15 years - was the result of no red-letter display. The winners were efficient and counter-attacked with occasional excellence. No more was required. Crokes’ awful shooting made certain of that.

Rathmore’s Fionn Murphy was the provider of 1-1 from play. He was also the provider of Rathmore’s one and only wide in this Kerry club final of so little quality.

That lone wide was registered eight minutes from time. Their misses sheet was incredibly scant. Only two more efforts short accompanied this single wide.

It is necessary to point out what Rathmore didn’t leave behind so as to present the starkest of comparisons when pointing out the absolute pile their 14-men opponents left behind.

Three-in-a-row chasing Crokes finished with 13 wides, five short, and five goal opportunities not taken. They finished with just three scorers. Their finishing product was nothing short of dreadful.

Numerically disadvantaged from the 29th minute onward, Crokes never disappeared from contention. Even after John Moynihan’s 47th minute goal left them six adrift, they continued to create the greater number of scoring opportunities.

Crokes engineered three further goal openings across the final 13 minutes. Cian McMahon was wide. Gavin White was half-blocked by Dan Murphy. Sub Michael Potts was denied by ‘keeper William Casey.

Tony Brosnan’s 59th minute ‘45 was floated into the danger area in the hope an equalising goal would ensue. Rathmore’s Cathal Ryan rose highest. They once again broke smartly. The final pass of the final counter went to the unmarked Brian Friel inside. He floated over the insurance.

Fionn Murphy of Rathmore celebrates at the final whistle. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

The first-half was a complex 30 minutes. Sedentary, then gripping. Utterly gripping. Gripped, mind, not by football, but by rushes of blood.

This Kerry club final was 10 minutes and 47 seconds old before the scoreboard moved. Cathal Ryan’s slipped handpass succeeded in taking out the entire Crokes defence. The receiver, Fionn Murphy, found himself behind the cover and in the clear. His was a composed, low finish into the left corner of Shane Murphy’s goal.

It was a wonder how Rathmore were in front. Murphy’s shot was their first of the game. Their opponents had already racked up three wides and dropped three more short. Micheál Burns and David Shaw were the first two entries into the latter category before Evan Looney, inexplicably and unforgivably, kicked straight into goalkeeper William Casey’s hands from 15 metres out in the play before the deadlock was broken at the far end.

Ciaran Collins delivered the game’s opening white flag on 12 minutes. Crokes’ response to falling four behind was a fourth wide, from the boot of Burns.

There were 15 minutes and three seconds on the clock when Crokes eventually opened their account. That Tony Brosnan opener was followed by a Burns two-pointer.

If these back-to-back scores were evidence of a team belatedly getting the eye in, there was to be no further settling. On 19 minutes, the explosion of this club final into drama coincided with Crokes being reduced to 14 men.

The incident began with an entanglement between Rathmore’s Ciaran Collins and Crokes’ Mark O’Shea out around halfway. Rathmore’s Cathal Ryan entered as a third man, his challenge on O’Shea resulting in a black card when referee Paul Hayes got around to doling out the various punishments.

Following Ryan onto the scene was a Rathmore medic, who was twice pushed by Micheál Burns. The Crokes full-forward was shown red for sense deserting him. Another Fitzgerald Stadium red for Burns.

The continuation of their horrible shooting thereafter only compounded the wholly avoidable reduction in personnel.

Crokes' first-half rap sheet included seven wides, four short, and a David Shaw goal shot drilled straight at the excellent Casey.

The half-time scoreline read 1-4 to 0-5. Brendan O’Keeffe’s two-pointer inside the opening minute of the second period stretched Rathmore’s lead to three.

Tony Brosnan had the opportunity to subsequently square matters when standing over a penalty. His kick, though, went high and off the left post for a white flag.

Sub John Moynihan and an O’Keeffe free returned Aidan O’Mahony’s side three in front entering the final quarter.

A Cian Dineen-Fionn Murphy one-two released possession across the square where Moynihan was present for an advantage doubling-goal.

Resistance was the chief priority thereafter. There they succeeded, with a helping hand from the misfiring Crokes.

Scorers for Rathmore: F Murphy, J Moynihan (1-1 each); B O’Keeffe (0-3, tp, 0-1 free); C Collins (0-2); D Nagle, A Dineen, B Friel (0-1 each).

Scorers for Dr Crokes: T Brosnan (0-8, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘45, 0-1 pen); M Burns (tp), C McMahon (0-2 each).

RATHMORE: W Casey; C O’Connor, F Holohan, D Murphy; D Nagle, P Murphy, A Dineen; A Moynihan, P Moynihan; C Collins, C Ryan, F Murphy; J Darmody, M Ryan, B O’Keeffe.

Subs: B Friel for P Moynihan (HT); J Moynihan for Darmody (41); C Dineen for A Dineen (44); D Rahilly for Murphy (53); C Moynihan for D Nagle (57).

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

Subs: A Henigan for Doyle (47); B Courtney for Keating, C Fitzgerald for O’Shea (inj, both 49); M Lynch for M Fitzgerald, M Potts for G O’Shea (both 53).

Referee: P Hayes.