All-Ireland Club FC Semi-final replay/ Dr Crokes 2-9 Moorefield 0-8:Leaving a dank McDonagh Park in Nenagh on Saturday a group of disappointed Moorefield fans managed a hearty rendering of I had a dream.
Similarly their team had earlier showed unbowed resilience in pushing Kerry's Dr Crokes to the brink for all but the final 10 minutes of a rousing end-to-end All-Ireland semi-final replay.
Dr Crokes' appearance in Croke Park on St Patrick's Day will be central to a bonanza of appearances by Kerry teams in finals next month - Duagh and Ardfert have already qualified for the All-Ireland Intermediate and Junior deciders.
Crokes manager Pat O'Shea felt that the side had learned much from the drawn match.
"It was always going to be a pressurised game," he said. "Possibly our first-half performance was going to be the key. We went in at half-time a point up (1-4 to 0-6) having played against the wind.
"From a player's vantage point this was a happy position and we went out in the second half with added confidence."
But O'Shea was not too happy about his team's third quarter display. "It took us a while to exploit our advantage, but as I said last week, Moorefield are a very good team and it was only to be expected for them to up their game.
"The game was very much there for the taking all through. In one way, we were the architects of our own downfall during that third quarter and going into the final quarter we found ourselves in some difficulty on level terms against a very vibrant side. Our main mistake was to over-play and we failed to get ball to our front runners quick enough.
"Moorefield went on the ascendancy in that third quarter. It was a worrying time, but thankfully we were able to survive that particular onslaught by our opponents and we got on top again."
O'Shea duly had plenty of praise for his defenders. "I take my hat off to them for the manner in which they were so disciplined and avoided giving away frees."
O'Shea said playing Ulster champions Crossmaglen in the All-Ireland final "will be a big obstacle. They are something of competition specialists. We will sit down and re-group and think deeply about this match and hope to come up with the right answers.
"We will not be going up to Croke Park for a day out. Pride and passion in club football are major components and we feel we have a lot of this."
Séamus Dowling, the Moorefield manager, commented: "We are very disappointed. It is the end of a rollercoaster for us, but I don't think the score reflected the game as a whole.
"We had crucial wides and seemed to run out of steam in the final 10 minutes. Some of our best players were only coming back from injury and they were clearly only 95 per cent right."
"James Lonergan was a big loss. We didn't get points when we had Crokes on the back foot early on in the second half. We are happy to know that we are still Kildare champions and the champions of Leinster.
"We put up two great games to Crokes, an exceptional side. Nevertheless, we will give it another go next year, although I must admit that emerging from the very competitive Kildare county championships is always a big ask."
DR CROKES: C Cremin; K McMahon, L Quinn, M Moloney; D Moriarty, B McMahon, E Kavanagh; A Donovan (0-1), E Brosnan (1-0); B Looney, D Moloney (1-2, one 45), J Fleming; C Coooper (0-3, two frees)S Doolin, K O'Leary (0-3). Subs: V Cooper for Fleming; A Donnellan for Looney; J Cahalan for Doolin; C Brosnan for Moloney
MOOREFIELD: T Corley; P O'Flynn, K O'Neill, I Lonergan; K Dwane, G Naughton, L O'Callaghan; R Glavin (0-1), D Flynn (0-1); P Murray (0-2), R Sweeney (0-1, free), M Treacy (0-1); F Hanniffy, J Phillips (0-1), B Wolfe (0-1). Subs: D White for Hanniffy; P Behan for Wolfe; R Delaney for Treacy.
Referee: M Deegan(Laois).
