Crokes retain county title at South Kerry’s expense

A SUCCESSFUL title defence and a place alongside Austin Stacks atop of the County Championship roll of honour was Dr Crokes reward for a gritty, courageous performance in their County SFC final win over South Kerry on Sunday, October 22.

As reigning All-Ireland Club champions and defending county champions, it was hard to make a case against Dr Crokes winning this final, but then you considered the opposition and paused for thought. South Kerry have been Crokes’ nemesis for the best part of a decade and a half, and though personnel and circumstances are ever evolving, there was always the suspicion that if there was an outfit in the county capable of ending Crokes’ unbeaten run all year the men from the deep south would be the ones to do it.

They came mighty close. As the game entered the ‘championship minutes’ South Kerry were lurking. They trailed Crokes by just a point, 1-9 to 0-13, in the 48th minute and there was a sense in Austin Stack Park that come what may, the winner was going to earn this. Then Johnny Buckley was sent off, a black card married to a yellow, and the champions were on the ropes. Bryan Sheehan – the epitome of the county man who never fails to do his stuff on the local stage – landed an equaliser. The champions, though not quite reaching for the smelling salts, were wobbling a little. But the Bishop Moynihan Cup, the Munster title, and the Andy Merrigan Cup weren’t in Lewis Road over the summer for no good reason.

Five minutes later Dr Crokes were three points clear. Now South Kerry were throwing windmills in the dark, but when they did get it back to within a point, with three minutes of added time to play, the challengers were punched out. Crokes – as only they can – managed the game to its inevitable conclusion, with Colm Cooper – a non-starter through injury – coming in and teeing up Kieran O’Leary for the insurance point as the champions survived, 0-17 to 1-12.