MUNSTER SFC SEMI-FINAL Dr Crokes (Kerry) 0-12 Kilmurry-Ibrickane (Clare) 0-9:KERRY CAPTAIN Colm Cooper was at his imperious best in the final quarter of yesterday's epic Munster SFC club semi-final as he rattled off the last four points of the contest that saw Dr Crokes advance to the provincial final.
With the home side trailing 0-9 to 0-7 at the three-quarter stage and having lost Daithí Casey to a second yellow card, Dr Crokes looked in big trouble.
But Kilmurry-Ibrickane contributed to their own downfall as they failed to score in the last 23 minutes – after pushing 0-9 to 0-6 ahead after 37 minutes – while they also never made their extra man count.
Instead it was Dr Crokes that were spurred on from Casey’s dismissal, as they played their best stuff, with Cooper and the excellent Eoin Brosnan central figures.
After points from substitute Chris Brady and Kieran O’Leary left Dr Crokes 0-9 to 0-8 behind, Cooper took over to book Crokes’ place in the final.Kilmurry-Ibrickane didn’t help their cause when midfielder Enda Coughlan received a straight red card with five minutes left, with his side trailing 0-10 to 0-9.
Dr Crokes made no such mistakes with Cooper hitting form when it was needed most, ably supported by Brosnan, Kieran O’Leary, and Johnny Buckley and Ambrose O’Donovan in midfield.
In the first half Dr Crokes failed to fire and found themselves 0-3 to 0-0 behind, with Noel Downes, Coughlan and Michael Hogan all on target for Kilmurry-Ibrickane.
Dr Crokes played their way back into the game and went 0-4 to 0-3 in front, thanks to two points apiece from Kieran O’Leary and Casey.
Kilmurry-Ibrickane, however, were winning the majority of the breaks around the middle and in Downes and Coughlan had two of the game’s best players, as they led 0-6 to 0-5 at half-time.
And despite a strong start to the second half, Kilmurry-Ibrickane wilted under the Dr Crokes pressure.
Dr Crokes boss Harry O’Neill was a relieved man afterwards: “It took us some time to counteract their game plan, which they carried out to a tee. They got off to a flying start, racing three points clear inside the opening two minutes and then after we pegged them back to a point at half-time, they blitzed us early in the second half again.
“We knew Kilmurry-Ibrickane were going to be a tough side to beat but telling fellows that is one thing, and it registering is another.
“We were two points down and a man down but we didn’t panic and the lads raised their game and Colm Cooper and Eoin Brosnan took the game by the scruff of the neck – so the sending off actually helped us.”
DR CROKES: A Kelly; J Payne, L Quinn, D O'Leary; F Fitzgerald, E Brosnan, S Myers; A O'Donovan, J Buckley (0-1); A Kenneally, D Casey (0-3, 0-1 free), B Looney; C Cooper (0-4, 0-1 free), K O'Leary (0-3), J Doolan. Subs: B McMahon for D O'Leary; C Brady (0-1) for J Doolan; S O'Neill for A Kenneally.
KILMURRY-IBRICKANE: P O'Dwyer; S Hickey, D Hickey, M McMahon; D Callinan, E Talty (0-1), E Coughlan (0-2); P O'Connor, P O'Dwyer; I McInerney (0-1, free), M Hogan (0-1), M McCarthy; S Moloney, N Downes (0-2), M O'Dwyer. Subs: J Daly (0-2, 0-1 free) for M McCarthy; N Hickey for M Hogan.
Referee: D O'Mahony(Tipperary).
