Munster Club SFC final/Dr Crokes 2-5 The Nire 0-8:Conflicting opinion before yesterday's AIB Munster football final in Páirc Uí Chaoimh: the conventional script said Kerry v Waterford but the seasonal adjustment said club time in December. In the end it was more the latter scenario that came to life but in an unexpected way.
Put it like this: whatever the differences of opinion before the ball was thrown in, even The Nire's most convinced supporters would have felt queasy at the prospect of their team spilling two goals in 11 minutes; yet it was the Killarney club that ultimately couldn't wait to hear the final whistle.
As usual at this time of the year the weather had a massive influence, a fierce gale blowing behind Dr Crokes in the first half and their Waterford opponents during the second.
The sequence of scoring was bizarre even for this time of year. Crokes appeared to "declare" after 15 minutes and allow The Nire try and pull back the deficit for the remainder of the match, and had it not been for a steadying point in the last minute - the Kerry side's only score of the last three-quarters - there would have been less than a goal between the sides at the finish.
"In the first half we conceded two soft goals," said The Nire's manager, Seán Guiry, "and if you give those guys half a chance they'll put you away. But we came back at them and it was an outstanding display from every one of them.
"I said at half-time to play like we did for the last 10 minutes at the end of the first half."
In retrospect and despite the early howlers, The Nire played more convincingly against the wind than their hotly-favoured opponents. At times they put together great moves and finished economically, scoring three from three shots in the first half.
Their performance after the break demonstrated great rallying qualities because they dominated possession and territory, but the efficiency of the first half vanished in the wind and they took nearly 16 minutes to get two points on the board, a rate of deficit reduction that wouldn't catch their opponents, and kicked nine wides over the half hour.
"We've won," said Crokes - and new Kerry - manager Pat O'Shea, "and that's a big honour, but we will look back and say there are a pile of things for us to work on. The Nire put it up to us in the second half and made it very difficult.
"Sometimes you need luck and we know that because we've had bitter defeats. The goals came at the right time, but we didn't build on them and they didn't stop The Nire coming right back at us."
The goals both fell to Colm Cooper, in a two-man full-forward line with Kieran O'Leary, the first in under two minutes when Thomas O'Gorman failed to hold a line ball from James Fleming and Cooper did what you might expect with the close-in opportunity. The second came nine minutes later after another defensive lapse allowed Andrew Kennelly a run at the defence. Brian Looney carried on the move and unselfishly - or because of endless drills - gave the final, scoring pass to his team-mate for a lead of 2-2 to 0-2.
Crokes were in command but managed seven wides with the wind. Some of the scores were excellent, especially Kieran O'Leary's brace, but The Nire followed them at what most assumed was a forlorn distance and few would have foreseen the seven-point deficit, 0-3 to 2-4, looking so vulnerable after the break.
But The Nire dominated the second half. Shane Walsh drove from centrefield and created a couple of moments' havoc toward the end. Connie Power put in an enormous amount of work, showing for ball tirelessly; the O'Gormans, Thomas and Maurice, who started in the full backs - although Maurice had already been taken out the field in the first half and scored a point on his travels - were prominent pushing forward; and captain Brian Wall scored two great points from wing back.
Eoin Brosnan showed much-needed leadership for the beleaguered Crokes in his covering back, and four minutes from time he made a super block on the incoming John Moore.
Shane Walsh, whose goal beat Kerry in the 2003 Munster under-21 final, hit The Nire's eighth point to cut the margin to two and the shot could as easily have flown under the bar to tie up the match.
n The afternoon featured the now obligatory brawl just before half-time and although it wasn't serious and order was restored, a supporter tried to get onto the field, which could have caused more mayhem.
DR CROKES: K Cremin; K McMahon, L Quinn, M Moloney; B Moriarty, B McMahon, E Kavanagh (0-1); A O'Donovan, E Brosnan; B Looney, K Brosnan, A Kennelly (0-1); J Fleming (capt), C Cooper (2-1, point a free), K O'Leary (0-2).
Subs: J Cahillane for K Brosnan (44 mins), V Cooper for Looney (48 mins).
THE NIRE: T Flynn; J Walsh, T O'Gorman, M O'Gorman (0-1); J Moore, D Ryan, B Wall (capt; 0-3, one free); A O'Gorman, S Walsh (0-2); D Wall, P Walsh (0-1), M Walsh; C Power, S Lawlor, M Moore. Subs: P Prendergast for S Lawlor (40 mins), L Lawlor (0-1) for D Wall (48 mins), S Doolan for Kennelly (57 mins), E O'Sullivan for K O'Leary (61 mins).
Referee: J Geaney (Cork).
