Dr Crokes 3-08 Daingean Uí Chúis 0-11
Three goals in a six-minute period turned the Kerry county final on its head, catapulting Dr Crokes from three points behind after 42 minutes into a five-point lead by the 48th minute, and that was more than enough to give the Killarney kingpins their 14th title.
Beaten by Crokes in the 2012 and 2018 finals, as well as the Senior Club Championship final a few weeks ago to the same side, Daingean Uí Chúis must wonder what it will take to bridge the 76-year gap since they were last county champions. Not conceding three goals in six minutes would be a good place to start.
Leading 0-06 to 0-04 at half time, Daingean Uí Chúis extended that lead to three points 30 seconds into the second half, but then it all fell apart. After Tom Leo O'Sullivan had a shot on goal well saved by Shane Murphy in the Dr Crokes goal, four minutes later at the other end, David Shaw made no mistake with his close-range shot.
A good turnover on the Daingean Uí Chúis defence allowed Shaw grab the ball and he drove it past Gavin Curran to level the score for the first time since Paul Geaney had given Daingean Uí Chúis the lead just 25 seconds into the game.
Barry O’Sullivan momentarily gave Daingean Uí Chúis back the lead with a point, but two minutes after Shaw’s goal, Kieran O’Leary poked the ball over the Dingle goal line to put the Killarney club two points ahead. Even with a quarter of the game still to play, there only looked one winner from here.
If Daingean Uí Chúis’ heads were scrambled after that double strike, they were well and truly fried in the 48th minute when Evan Looney scorched through the defence and fired in goal number three.
Five points up in a county final with 10 minutes to play, a Pat O’Shea managed team simply doesn’t lose from that position. And Dr Crokes didn’t. Micheal Burns added three points to ice the win as Daingean Uí Chúiswill wonder where it all went awry.
It had all started so well for Daingean Uí Chúis, who built on that early Paul Geaney score to move 0-05 to 0-01 ahead after 17 minutes, with Dylan Geaney and Tom O’Sullivan among their scorers.
Dr Crokes found a little momentum in the second quarter with Gavin White firing over two long-range points to haul his side back into contention. Playing against a stiff, Dingle would have been satisfied to turn it around at the break two points in front.
Few teams bide their time better than Dr Crokes, though, in these circumstances, and few know how to go for the jugular with such precision and devastating consequences for the opposition.
DR CROKES: Shane Murphy; Evan Looney 1-00, Fionn Fitzgerald, John Payne, Maidhcí Lynch, Gavin White 0-02, Brian Looney; Mark O’Shea, Charlie Keating, Micheál Burns 0-04 (0-01f), Gavin O’Shea, Tom Doyle; Tony Brosnan, David Shaw 1-01, Cian McMahon.
Subs: Kieran O’Leary 1-01 for T Doyle (36), Michael Potts for C Keating (36), David Naughton for M Lynch (53), Daithi Casey for C MaMahon (56)
DAINGEAN UI CHUIS: Gavin H Curran, Conor Flannery, Conor O’Sullivan, Tom O’Sullivan 0-01, Brian O’Connor, Darragh O’Sullivan, Tom 'Leo’ O’Sullivan, Barry O’Sullivan 0-01, Billy O’Connor, Cathal Bambury 0-01, Matthew Flaherty, Niall Geaney, Dylan Geaney 0-05, Paul Geaney 0-02 (0-01f), Tadhg de Brún.
Subs: Micheál Flannery for C O’Sullivan (25), Conor Geaney 0-01 for D O’Sullivan (39), Mikey Geaney for T De Brún (52), Seán Óg Moran for Billy O’Connor (58), Eoghan Hoare for Brian O’Connor (61)
REFEREE: Brendan Griffin (Clounmacon)
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