Dr Crokes (Kerry) 1-12 Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) 0-9
Munster title favourites Dr Crokes were pressed very hard by a gutsy Loughmore/Castleiney team in this hard-fought and at times over-robust AIB Munster Club SFC semi-final in Killarney on Sunday.
There was an air of inevitability about this game and just as one is powerless of stopping the fox stealing the chicken, Loughmore-Castleiney hadn’t a ghostly chance of stopping Crokes talisman Colm Cooper.
O’Shea will be concerned by his side’s somewhat flat performance as will the Crokes supporters who made up the vast majority of the crowd.
Dr Crokes did not start as brightly as in their previous game as Loughmore-Castleiney set up with 13 players at times behind the ball and this made it difficult for the Crokes attack to penetrate but not for Cooper.
Cooper kept Crokes in the contest early on as his marker just could not deal with the sorcery of the Gooch. The Tipp champions knew Cooper was coming at them but they were powerless to stop him.
Loughmore-Castleiney, who finished with 13 men following the second half dismissals of Tomas McGrath and John Ryan, were troubling Crokes on the counter-attack and former Tipperary minor captain Liam McGrath gave his side the lead in the 3rd minute, after John McGrath was fouled going through.
Three wides followed for the visitors before Crokes struck for their opening goal when Daithi Casey found Kieran O’Leary and when he placed Cooper, who billowed the net.
Crokes were not playing well and Liam McGrath punished them with another free and then Loughmore-Castleiney spurned a great goal scoring chance when Liam and John McGrath combined to send Joseph Hennessy through and he took his point rather than find an unmarked colleague to his right.
Points from Gavin O’Shea, and Daithi Casey saw the Crokes move two points clear before the Gooch was denied a second goal by a superb interception by John Maher who flicked the ball behind for a 45. Johnny Buckley restored Crokes three points lead before a controversial call by referee James Bermingham denied Brian McGrath who looked to be through on goal but the referee had called play back for a free for an earlier foul and Liam McGrath reduced the gap to just two points.
Crokes finished the half the stronger but their finishing left a lot to be desired and points from Cooper and Gavin White saw them lead by four points before midfielder John McGrath scored an injury-time point for the visitors as Crokes retired 1-5 to 0-5 in front.
Loughmore-Castleiney skipper Liam McGrath opened his side’s second-half account with a converted free but Crokes cancelled this out with four unanswered points in a row from Eoin Brosnan, Brian Looney, Cooper and Daithi Casey (free) to take a stranglehold on proceedings.
Loughmore-Castleiney kept plugging away but were finding the Crokes defence difficult to break down. Liam McGrath, with his fifth converted free, landed their first score in 15 minutes but they could not create a goal scoring opportunity.
Pat O’Shea emptied the bench and the introductions of Michael Burns, Jordan Kiely and Tony Brosnan added considerable pace to the home side and all three were to add their names to the score sheet before the finish.
Crokes advanced to the final but as selector Harry O’Neill remarked afterwards “That was a very poor performance from us and we were very disappointed going in at half time. We were sloppy in our delivery of passes, sloppy in front of goal and lacked composure. We picked it up a little bit more in the second half and managed the game a bit better but we have a lot of improving to do before the Munster Final.”
Dr Crokes: S Murphy ; J Payne, M Moloney , F Fitzgerald; G White (0-1) , A O'Sullivan. D O'Leary; A O'Donovan, J Buckley (0-1); D Casey (0-2, 2f), G O'Shea (0-1), B Looney (0-1); C Cooper (1-3, 0-1 free), K O'Leary, E Brosnan (0-1). Subs: M Burns for B Looney (35 mins); L Quinn for F Fitzgerald (41 mins B/C); J Kiely (0-1)for G O'Shea (48 mins); M Milner for A O'Donovan (60 mins), B O'Shea for K O'Leary (60 mins), T Brosnan (0-1).
Loughmore-Castleiney: D Brennan; L Egan, J Meagher, T McGrath; J Ryan, C McGrath, J Hennessy (0-1); N McGrath, J McGrath (0-1); B McGrath, L Treacy (0-1), A McGrath; L McGrath 0-6 (6 frees), E Sweeney, W Eviston. Subs: D Kennedy for L Treacy (41 b/c); E Connolly for B McGrath (52 mins), T Maher for E Sweeney (52 mins).
Referee: J Bermingham (Cork).
