Crokes aces in cruise control

AN exhibition of forward play by Dr Croke’s in Ardfinnan yesterday saw them cruise past Tipperary champions Moyle Rovers.

Full-forward Kieran O’Leary ended up with 2-2, while Tony Brosnan scored 0-7 and Micheál Burns chipped in with three from play.

Moyle Rovers opened brightly enough, attacking at pace in the early minutes and hitting points through Richard Power and Liam Boland.

However, three crucial incidents in that first-half prevented them from staying in touch.

The first goal came in the 10th minute when Kieran O’Leary scored after a defensive mistake and he had another in the 28th minute, again benefiting from hesitation in the Rovers defence after a long Johnny Buckley ball and fisting to the net, ensuring the Kerry champions led by 2-8 to 0-5 at half-time. In the meantime, Moyle lost influential corner-forward Liam Boland to a black card.

When they lost Shane Foley to a straight red early in the second-half, Crokes were more than capable of capitalising in full.

Colm Cooper entered the fray in the 40th minute, set up a couple of scores and scored a point himself before sub Michael Potts hit the net.

Scorers–DrCroke’s: K O’Leary 2-2, T Brosnan 0-7 (6f), M Potts 1-0; M Burns 0-3, D Casey, D Shaw, C Cooper 0-1 each MoyleRovers: R Power, D Ryan 0-2 each, L Boland, S Carey, R Quigley, R Mulcahy 0-1 each

DR CROKE’S – S Murphy, J Payne, M Moloney, F Fitzgerald, D O’Leary, G White, S Doolan, J Buckley, D Casey, M Burns, G O’Shea, B Looney, D Shaw, K O’Leary, T Brosnan Subs: C Cooper for D Shaw (40m), M Potts for D Casey (41m), J Lyne for T Brosnan (48m), M O’Shea for K O’Leary (51m)

MOYLE ROVERS – C Kenrick, P Morrissey, A Campbell, M Irwin, D McGrath, R Mulcahy, L Boland, R Power, T Fitzgerald, D Ryan, S Quirke, A McGrath, L Boland, S Foley, D Owens Subs: J Harney for P Morrissey (17m), D Foley for L Boland (bc 18m), R Quigley for S Quirke (40m), S Carey for A McGrath (44m), B Owens for L Boland (48m)

REF – J Bermingham (Cork)