Munster Club SFC semi-final: Dr Crokes (Kerry) 0-9 Rathgormack (Waterford) 0-8
Nothing comes easy in these provincial scuffles at the best of times, and Kerry champions Dr Crokes almost learned that to their ultimate cost after being taken to the brink by Waterford’s Rathgormack in a dour and dogged Munster semi-final.
In the end, the Killarney club prevailed by the minimum, enough to send them back to their first Munster Club SFC final since 2018, facing Tipperary’s Loughmore-Castleiney.
That’s for then, but this was now, and if ever the old adage that semi-finals are just for winning rang true, then this was exhibit A.
In an intriguing contest – at least for the small knot of a crowd looking on in Fraher Field – both teams seemed to fare better playing against a strong wind than with it, although Dr Crokes did enjoy a two-point half-time lead, 0-7 to 0-5, having played against the elements.
That the Kerry men scored just two points in the second half speaks as much to the toughness of the conditions as it might to their own performance, though Dr Crokes made more mistakes, many of them unforced, than is their norm but Rathgormack deserve plenty of credit for putting it up to the favourites.
Early scores from Conor Murray and Jason Power settled the Waterford men, and Jason Curry lamped over a bar of fine scores for Rathgormack in that period, but frees from Tony Brosnan’s boot joined Micheal Burns’ contribution helped Crokes to their half-time lead.
The Kerry champions would have been expected to kick on from there, but a missed free from Burns early in the second half seemed to signpost the difficulties to come for both teams.
Shane Murphy pulled off a smart save to deny Rathgormack a goal after 36 minutes, but in an error-ridden second period Dr Crokes seemed to be pulling clear when another Brosnan free put them 0-9 to 0-6 ahead at 52 minutes.
The Kerry men wouldn’t score again, though, while Jason Curry’s point kept the Deise champions breathing down their neck, underdogs looking as likely to snatch a win as not.
In a somewhat frantic finish, Dr Crokes hung on despite an additional time score from Curry. It was far from vintage Crokes, but it didn’t have to be.
RATHGORMACK: P Hunt; G Power, M Power, W Hahessy; S Hahessy, T Walsh, C Crowch; P Walsh, M Curry; J Power (0-2), J Curry (0-3, 1f), C Murray (0-1); J Gleeson (0-1, f), S Curry, A Murray (0-1). Subs: B Power for C Crowch (ht), Roche for A Murray (48 mins).
DR CROKES: S Murphy; E Looney, F Fitzgerald, M Lynch (0-1); C Keating, G White, B Looney; M O’Shea, M Potts; M Burns (0-4, 1f), G O’Shea, T Doyle; T Brosnan (0-4, 4f), D Shaw, C McMahon. Subs: J Payne for M Potts (42 mins), K O’Leary for C McMahon (45), D Naughton for T Doyle (54), M Moloney for M Lynch (59).
Referee: N Quinn (Clare).
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