DR NO..HOPE Cork champions torn to pieces as rampant Crokes plunder five goals en route to final

DR CROKES hit all 25 of their scores from play in another incredible attacking display against outclassed Cork champions St Finbarr’s on home soil.

It was some show of strength from Crokes who now qualify for their third successive provincial final and their seventh this decade.

They had 11 different scorers and when they could hold Colm Cooper and Jordan Kiely on the bench until midway through the second half. It must have been soul destroying for the Barr’s when Cooper (inset) added 0-3 and Kiely 1-1 in an outrageous show of depth.

Dr Crokes, after a slow start, really put St Finbarr’s away with a first-half scoring blitz that saw them lead by 11 at the interval.

St Finbarr’s settled better but some good defending by Dr Crokes kept them at bay and they shot two wides before Crokes settled and Brian Looney gave them the lead in the sixth minute. But Barr’s levelled through Steven Sherlock’s free after Ian Maguire had been fouled.

However, Crokes assumed total control with seven unanswered points between the ninth and the 19th minutes.

Points from David

Shaw (two), Tony

Brosnan (three),

Gavin O’shea and

Brian Looney saw the

Crokes lead 0-8 to 0-1.

St Finbarr’s rallied briefly thanks to the work of Maguire and Enda Dennehy.

A Sherlock free was followed by an Eoin Mcgreevey goal when he managed to chip Shane Murphy in the 20th minute to leave just three points between the sides.

Brian Looney and Barr’s cornerback Conor Dennehy exchanged points before the Crokes finished the half with a flourish, with Johnny Buckley scoring a Crokes goal in the 22nd minute after Michael Burns put him through.

And after points from Shaw and Michael Burns, Daithí Casey collected a crossfield pass from Kieran O’leary on the stroke of half-time and blasted the ball to the St Finbarr’s net. Crokes did not take their foot of the gas in the second half as they piled on the agony on a deflated St Finbarr’s side with a succession of points and goals from Micheál Burns, David Shaw and Jordan Kiely.

The Cork side were left frustrated time and again by some excellent Shane Murphy saves as they chased goals in desperation but the game was long over.