The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Up and running: 28 games across the county
COUNTY CLUB SFC GROUP 1 ROUND 1 Dr Crokes 1-18 Templenoe 0-10
THIS was exactly what the doctor ordered for Dr Crokes manager Edmund O’Sullivan as he watched his charges emphatically blow away the resumption cobwebs with this facile victory over Templenoe in the Kerry Petroleum Senior Club FC Group 1 opener at Fitzgerald Stadium last Friday night.
Not only did the Killarney side lay down a marker for the remainder of the season by crushing last year’s intermediate kingpins, despite a build-up that saw them lose key player Dáithí Casey to a serious leg injury, but Dr Crokes also showed a lack of clinical ruthlessness that will give their backroom team plenty to work on this week.
While Dr Crokes will have been thrilled with Mark O’Shea’s dominance of the midfield sector, and the penetrating invention in an attack led by Tony Brosnan and David Shaw, they only managed to convert a solitary one of the seven goal chances that they created during the contest, with such profligacy bound to be punished in later rounds by stronger opposition.
Templenoe, meanwhile, were made to rue the absence of Kerry star Tadhg Morley in defence, and the early injury-enforced withdrawal of the experienced Teddy Doyle, but this was a real eye-opening reversal for the losers, who would have succumbed by a much bigger margin if it wasn’t for the brilliance of goalkeeper Mark Looney.
The destination of the spoils in this far from exhilarating contest was basically decided in the second quarter. Even though Dr Crokes had taken early control of proceedings (leading by 0-6 to 0-3 after 21 minutes), they hadn’t managed to move through the gears, with David Naughton and
Chris Doncil being the first to miss fine opportunities to raise the green flag.
Templenoe, struggling to find any cohesion in their play, despite the liveliness of corner-forward Stephen O’Sullivan, almost put the cat among the pigeons in the 26th minute when, just after Doncil had hit the post at one end, Adrian
Spillane burst through on the run and hammered a piledriver of a left-foot drive off the angle of post and crossbar.
Who knows what might have unfolded if Spillane had levelled the scores at that juncture? In any case, Templenoe’s goose was almost immediately well and truly cooked when Mark O’Shea’s brilliant quickly-taken free was drilled into Tony Brosnan, who buried a low left-footed rocket into the corner of the net.
Despite Micheal Burns also failing to beat the inspired Looney from close range before the interval, Dr Crokes retired with a comfortable eight-point cushion (1-10 to 0-5). Everybody in the sparse crowd present knew that the game was over.
The second half descended into a virtual training session for the winners, with Brosnan continuing to prove a serious thorn in the side of the Templenoe rearguard, as Shaw’s playmaking abilities were very much to the fore.
Amazingly, however, further embellishment of the scoreboard with another goal or two for Dr Crokes just would not arrive, as Brosnan scuffed a low shot narrowly wide, and the indefatigable Looney pulled off another two outstanding saves from Burns and a cheekily-attempted free by Brosnan, who ended up with 1-8 in total on the night.
Dr Crokes, who were also able to rest Johnny Buckley early in the second half, will now look forward to this weekend’s Round Two fixture against a hurting Kerins O’Rahillys, while John Rice will be expecting his men to bounce back when they do battle with near neighbours Kenmare Shamrocks.
DR CROKES: Shane Murphy; John Payne, Mike Moloney, Fionn Fitzgerald; David Naughton, Gavin White, Cillian Fitzgerald; Mark O’Shea, Johnny Buckley; Micheal Burns 0-3, Michael Potts 0-1, Brian Looney 0-1; Tony Brosnan 1-8 (0-3 frees), David Shaw 0-5 (0-3 frees), Chris Doncil Subs: Alan O’Sullivan for Payne, half-time, Billy Courtney for Buckley, 39, Brian Fitzgerald for Moloney, 53, Mikey Casey for Looney, 57, Cillian Regan for O’Shea, 60
TEMPLENOE: Mark Looney; Mike Hallissey, Kieran O’Neill, John Spillane; Gavin Crowley, Danny Cahalane, John Rice; Sean Sheehan 0-1, Adrian Spillane; Teddy Doyle, Brian Crowley 0-1, Josh Crowley Holland; Stephen O’Sullivan 0-3 (0-1 mark), Killian Spillane 0-4 (0-2 frees), Cian Hallissey Subs: Colin Crowley 0-1 for Doyle, injured, 12, Martin Reilly for C Hallissey, half-time, Tom Spillane for Holland, 55, John Moriarty for Cahalane, 60
REFEREE: Jonathan Griffin (Glenbeigh/ Glencar)