Crokes go top on their own with latest win

DIVISION ONE

JUST as we come to the halfway point it’s noticeable that Dr Crokes have taking sole possession of top spot in the table as their win away to Kerins O’Rahillys in Strand Road coupled with Glenbeigh / Glencar losing out to Dingle means they are top with five wins from their five games thus far.

O’Rahillys made the better start on home turf in Gearóid Savage giving them an early 0-4 to 0-2 lead, but Daithí Casey pounced on a poor kick-out for Crokes’ first goal as Jordan Kiely soon followed up with a second for the visitors to give them a half-time lead of 2-8 to 0-7.

John Ferguson gave the hosts some hope after the restart with a goal making up for Gearóid Dillane skimming the crossbar in the first period but Ambrose O’Donovan scored Crokes’ third goal as another goal for the visitors gave them an eventual 4-17 to 1-12 victory.

The win sets the All-Ireland Senior Club Champions up nicely for a third trip to Tralee in the space of a month as the game with Austin Stacks that had to be put back because of the All-Ireland club final now awaits.

The All-Ireland Junior club champions meanwhile found the back of the net three times away to Dingle, but in the end it was still not enough to get the better of the hosts as Dingle raised 20 white flags in winning a high scoring contest.

All three of the visitors goals came in the first period through Caoilm Teahan, Kieran Courtney and Gavan O’Grady in giving them a 3-3 to 0-8 lead at the break.

The game was in the melting pot at the three-quarter mark, but Dingle finished strongly in the last 15 minutes as Matthew Flaherty, Darragh O’Sullivan, Conor Geaney and Cathal Bambury put them ahead by four points.

Gavan O’Grady made it a three point game at 0-20 to 3-8, but Glenbeigh / Glencar were awarded a late close-in free which was saved at the concession of a ‘45 from which Tom Leo O’Sullivan made the crucial interception to the sound of the final whistle.

Both sides are now level on eight points in the table as both An Ghaeltacht and Rathmore moved up the table onto six points. The West Kerry side were always in control of their game at home to Milltown/ C astlemaine turning a 0-10 to 0-4 lead at the break into an 0-18 to 0-7 win as they enter their derby with Dingle on Friday night full of confidence with this eleven point success.

Rathmore had a six point victory over St Marys in Con Keating Park, meanwhile, as they shared four goals with the South Kerry side in the first period in leading by 2-9 to 2-6.

John Moynihan scored their second goal after a great start to the game for the visitors as Sean Cournane and Paul O’Donoghue scored the host’s goals. A third Rathmore goal from Donal O’Sullivan would secure a 3-14 to 2-11 win for Rathmore as they prepare for a trip to Castleisland Desmonds this weekend.

The latter stay rooted to the bottom however with no points thus far after John Mitchels got the better of them by 10 points in their own backyard. James Duggan was impressive for the Tralee side in giving them an 0-8 to 0-6 lead at the break as Alan O’Donoghue scored the game’s only goal early in the second-half to send the Mitchels to a 1-16 to 0-9 win. Tadgh O’Connell’s injury was another blow for Desmonds as they desperately need a result against Rathmore this weekend.

Stacks will enter their aforementioned game with Crokes on a downer as well and in the relegation zone also as they lost a high scoring encounter away to Templenoe by three points.

Templenoe went in at half-time with a narrow 1-8 to 1-7 lead after Brian Crowley scored an early goal with Fiachna Mangan keeping Stacks in touch at the break. The visitors made a better start to the second period with the first four points, but Stephen O’Sullivan got Templenoe’s second goal to level the match up.

Josh Crowley Holland scored their third after fisting in a Teddy Doyle free as despite Templenoe losing the latter to a second yellow card the game was there for the taking for both sides entering injury time.

O’Sullivan was the one to seize for the hosts with his second goal as he secured an eventual 4-10 to 1-16 win in a gripping affair.