CROKES BACK IN GROOVE
Shaw’s early strike puts Killarney men on top of pile again
DR CROKES 1-21 M’TOWN/MAL 2-9
KERRY champions Dr Crokes collected their fifth provincial title this decade with a commanding final victory over Miltown-Malbay before quickly turning their attentions to regaining the national crown they held two seasons ago.
An early Dr Crokes goal was the last thing the Clare champions needed, but when David Shaw netted in the third minute, the writing was already on the wall for the Banner County outfit who, to their credit, refused to throw in the towel
St Joseph’s manager Michael Neylon praised his players for their honesty of effort, but conceding that Crokes operate at a loftier level.
‘We came here with ambitions, we came here to see if we could snatch it but we found out that we came up against the better team,’ Neylon said.
‘It’s a great experience for all of these players to go out and play a team like Crokes.
‘There was a huge standard there and in a lot of aspects we felt we matched them, but there was some slickness there on the part of the Crokes that we found it hard to get to grips with. We’ll probably rue (the bad start) for a long time because once that 10 minutes was over, we got to grips with it and probably dominated the next 20 minutes.’
That ten minutes referred to the period when the Kerrymen killed the game before it had a chance to come to life.
Shaw’s goal was followed by points from Daithí Casey, Kieran O’Leary, Tony Brosnan (two) and goalkeeper Shane Murphy (45) to put the Kerry champions nine points clear, 1-6 to 0-0, and, at that stage, the decider looked as if it would be reduced to an embarrassing anti-climax for all concerned.
It took 13 minutes for Kevin Keavey to kick Miltown-Malbay’s first point, but it ignited something in the Clare side.
A Darragh McDonagh point followed before Eoin Cleary played in Oisín Looney who slipped the ball past keeper Murphy to leave it 1-7 to 1-2 in the 20th minute as the St Joseph’s supporters finally had something to get excited about.
Scores from Casey and Brian Looney extended the Crokes lead out to seven points, but late first-half points from Eoin Cleary and Kieran Malone saw the Clare club remain in touch at the interval — albeit with a huge amount of catching up to do, as they trailed 1-10 to 1-4. Points from Brosnan and Looney put Dr Crokes eight ahead at the start of the second half and, at that stage, the result was never in doubt. Colm Cooper, who is still having to make do with a place on the bench, made his customary cameo appearance — as did young stars Michael Potts and Jordan Kiely — but Crokes never really cut loose on a Miltown-Malbay team that stayed determined and disciplined to the end.
Points from McDonagh, Enda O’Gorman and two converted frees from Eoin Cleary kept them ticking over on the scoreboard, and their perseverance was rewarded in added-on time when McDonagh’s shot beat Murphy from close range.
Dr Crokes selector Niall O’Callaghan said regaining the Munster title was the ambition since the start of the year, but the focus will immediately turn to unfinished business on the home front and an All-Ireland semi-final in February against the Leinster champions.
‘This time last year we were a tired team but we had no excuses last year,’ said O’Callaghan.
‘We were complacent and we didn’t handle our business right. This year fellas were really focused, and it gives us something to work on, but we’ve to train now for 11 or 12 weeks for one game (the All-Ireland semi-final).
‘You just don’t know how to really properly manage it. Last time we trained like dogs over Christmas, trained all the time. But we have a situation where we have fellas getting married, fellas going on honeymoon, fellas who need a break. That all has to come into it.
‘We would love to be playing the semi-final next week because we’re feeling good, we’re winning games.
‘And I’d say everyone would be the same, whoever wins Leinster, Ulster whatever.
‘It’s hard because you want to let them taper down now but you want to hit the right note in 11 weeks’ time or whatever it is. It’s very hard.’
That preparation begins with a Kerry league final next weekend, followed by a backlog of East Kerry Championship games if Crokes keep winning.
On this evidence, it’s impossible to see them being beaten for the rest of the year, but already their eyes will be on that February meeting with either Mullinalaghta or Kilamcud Crokes, and the hope that they can book a return ticket to Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day.