The Kerryman (North Kerry)

Dr Crokes recover best to get deal done in replay

- PAUL BRENNAN

COUNTY SFC SEMI-FINAL REPLAY

Dr Crokes 1-14 South Kerry 1-8

REPLAYS seldom live up to the drawn match in terms of tightness or excitement, and so it was that semi-final re-match never really caught fire as Dr Crokes saw off the surprising­ly limp challenge of South Kerry to book their place in next Sunday’s county final.

Seven days on from that gripping extra-time draw, Crokes - even without the injured David Shaw - were the more composed and purposeful team for most of this replay, while South Kerry never really produced the crisp football or brought the guts and steel that served them so well in the drawn match.

Of course, the divisional team will probably reflect in due course that they had their one chance to fell the champions the first day out, and when that didn’t happen the Killarney club made them pay the second day.

Indeed, South Kerry’s inability to take up from where they left off the previous Sunday was best summed up by the performanc­e of Bryan Sheehan, their talismanic midfielder. Where the St Marys man kicked seven points in the drawn match, including four longrange frees, on this occasion he struggled massively with his dead ball striking. In the first half alone he missed the target from five free kicks, none of them simple, but all normally well within his compass.

Sheehan suffered a heavy challenge early on that seemed to affect his performanc­e, and he was helped off injured in the 48th minute after another hefty tackle.

Sheehan’s woes began as early as the second minute when he pulled a 45-metre free wide, while at other end, Tony Brosnan - who was clinical all through - won and converted a free to put Crokes ahead.

Ciaran Keating and Brendan O’Sullivan replied with points for South Kerry before Shaw’s replacemen­t, Daithi Casey, pointed to make it 0-2 apiece after 10 minutes.

Two minutes later Johnny Buckley lined up Gavin White to break the South Kerry defensive cover, and he slipped the ball to Brosnan who stroked it past Padraig O’Sullivan to make it 1-2 to 0-2 for the champions.

Casey had a reasonable penalty claim waved away a minute later, and then Micheal Burns fluffed a decent goal chance when his weak shot was blocked by Killian Young, as Dr Crokes looked to put real distance between the teams. Instead, they had to settle for that four-point lead at the break with Casey, Potts and Brosnan (2) on target for Crokes, and Daniel Daly and Niall O’Shea on the mark for South Kerry.

The second half was, by and large, comfortabl­e for Dr Crokes, except for one self-inflicted wound. After two early points from Brosnan, South Kerry’s Niall O’Shea reacted well to a spilled ball from goalkeeper Shane Murphy to clip the ball to the net to make it 1-5 to 1-8 and give South Kerry a lifeline.

However, three of the next four points, from Burns (2) and Brian Looney, opened up a 1-11 to 1-6 lead for the Killarney club, and when Sheehan had to retire injured in the 48th minute South Kerry’s chances effectivel­y vanished, even though he had failed to raise a flag before that.

Even with almost eight additional minutes added, mostly for a number of injuries that sprinkled the second half, South Kerry could make no inroads into Crokes lead, with Casey (2) and Brosnan adding late points, as the champions ensured a county final with against their East Kerry stable-mates.

DR CROKES: Shane Murphy, John Payne, Michael Moloney, Fionn Fitzgerald, David O’Leary, Gavin White, Brian Looney 0-1, Johnny Buckley, Mark O’Shea, Micheal Burns 0-2, Michael Potts 1-1, Gavin O’Shea, Tony Brosnan 0-6 (2f), Daithi Casey 0-4 (1f), Kieran O’Leary. Subs: David Naughton for D O’Leary (25), Alan O’Sullivan for K O’Leary (HT), Jason Lyne for J Payne (inj, 63), Mike Milner for D Casey (65), Jack Griffin for M Burns (67)

SOUTH KERRY: Padraig O’Sullivan (Skellig Rangers), Fionan Clifford (Waterville), Killian Young (Renard), Padraig O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), Brian Sugrue (Renard), Mark Griffin (St Michaels/Foilmore), Robert Wharton (Renard), Bryan Sheehan (St Marys), Graham O’Sullivan (Dromid Pearses), Brendan O’Sullivan 0-1 (Valentia), Denis Daly (St Marys), Conor O’Shea (St Marys), Niall O’Shea 1-3 (Dromid Pearses), Daniel Daly 0-3 (St Marys), Ciaran Keating 0-1 (Skellig Rangers). Subs: Darragh O’Sullivan (St Marys) for B Sheehan (inj, 47), Chris Farley (Dromid Pearses) for C Keating (48), Sam O’Dwyer (Waterville) for R Wharton (57), Dillan O’Donoghue (Dromid Pearses) for N O’Shea (60)

REFEREE: Seamus Mulvihill (St Senans)

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