AIB Munster GAA Football Senior Club Championship Semi Final – Dr. Crokes (Kerry) 3-16 Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) 1-5

Dr. Crokes (Kerry) defeated Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) by 3-16 to 1-5 in the AIB Munster GAA Football Senior Club Championship on Saturday November 16th at Dr. Crokes GAA Grounds Killarney.

O’Leary believes Crokes too comfortable at home

Dr Crokes 3-16 Loughmore-Castleiney 1-5

By John Fogarty for the Irish Examiner newspaper

Dr Crokes stretched their average winning margin over their last three games to 13 on Saturday — but joint-manager Noel O’Leary believes there’s something still missing from their performances. This provincial semi-final victory, their eighth consecutive win in Munster, in front of 1,142 crowd on their home patch, sealed their fourth consecutive final appearance. In an ill-tempered contest where Michael Collins issued three red cards and 14 yellows, including four pairs, Dr Crokes eased away from the dual Tipperary champions in the last 17 minutes.

Loughmore-Castleiney’s decision to change tact and adopt an aggressive — often overly-aggressive — approach at the start of the second half initially appeared to be working. Even though they lost Cian Hennessy to a second yellow card just five minutes after he picked up his first, they had cut the margin to four points by the 38th minute.

However, that turned out to be their last score of the game as Colm Cooper, sensing his side’s difficulty, moved out the field and started to pull the strings. It was his beautifully-delivered pass into Jamie Doolan which led to Brian Looney’s goal in the 43rd minute that effectively ended the game as a contest. Cooper was also involved in Kieran O’Leary’s goal three minutes later, finding his Kerry team-mate whose neat one-two with Gavin O’Shea put him in for the score. Loughmore-Castleiney were out on their feet going into the final 10 minutes and the game turned into a procession for Crokes.

While happy with elements of his team’s performance, O’Leary knows his side have to prove themselves outside the county having won their last two games on their own ground; their last three including the county final all taking place on Lewis Road. “We’re not the finished article yet. There’s something still amiss in us. Are we too complacent that we’re playing at home? Is it about time now that we got out of the county and see if we’re really made of steel in the Munster final?”

Crokes have never made any secret of their aspirations for a second Andy Merrigan Cup, with Cooper featuring in ads speaking about its elusiveness. But if they are to do that, it’s tough love they’ll need, explained O’Leary. “We’re very critical of our players. I suppose we’re wrong in what we’re doing. We expect 100% all of the time and we can’t get 100% all of the time, but we want it. “These players bring 100% to training but come the games they’re just lacking that small little bit. Hopefully, they’ll get it right the next day.” O’Leary described the game as an awkward one made more difficult by the stoppages in play. “We expected a tough game but we didn’t expect it tougher than we got here. But we got over it and 3-16 is good kicking and we’ll move onto the final. “When the players were left to play football, it was a great game. But it was stop-start, there were yellow and red cards being flashed, which was sad. The GAA is not like that. It should be just reffed normally and players left to get on with the game.”

The Crokes management team of O’Leary and Vince Casey were visibly angry with the ease at which Loughmore-Castleiney slalomed their way through the defence in the opening half. Although the home team were eight points to the good by the 21st minute, Cooper’s 12th-minute penalty helping them on their way, they conceded one themselves in the 23rd minute. Goalkeeper David Moloney brought down David Kennedy and John McGrath, Loughmore-Castleiney’s only scorer until Ciaran McGrath posted their last point, found the net from the spot. Crokes were 1-8 to 1-3 at the break but Luke Quinn had to make a desperate clearance off the line just before half-time.

A catalogue of off-the-ball incidents pockmarked the restart and despite losing Hennessy, Loughmore-Castleiney were making gains. But the wind died in their sails after Looney’s goal as the reigning Munster champions’ superiority kicked in. At the death, John Ryan and Chris Brady were shown straight red cards after an entanglement. Loughmore-Castleiney’s Noel McGrath paid tribute to Crokes’ panache, which was the primary difference between the sides. “We knew coming down here we were coming up against a serious team and they showed that in the finish. But we knew if we could get around them, we have serious footballers on our team as well, and for 40 to 45 minutes we done really well. “But their class shone through in the finish and they got a few scores. We gave it our all and I don’t think there’s much more we could have asked for.”

Scorers for Dr Crokes: B Looney 1-6; C Cooper 1-3 (1-0pen, 0-1f); K O’Leary 1-2; J Doolan 0-3; D Casey (f), A O’Sullivan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Loughmore-Castleiney: J McGrath 1-4 (1-0pen, 0-3f); C McGrath 0-1.

DR CROKES: D Moloney; L Quinn, J Payne, K Ward; S Myers, F Fitzgerald, E Brosnan; A O’Donovan, J Buckley; B Looney, D Casey, A O’Sullivan; K O’Leary, C Cooper, J Doolan.

Subs: D O’Leary for K Ward (28); G O’Shea for A O’Donovan (38); S Doolan for S Myers (46); M Moloney for J Payne (49); C Brady for K O’Leary (51).

LOUGHMORE-CASTLEINEY: D Brennan; L Egan, J Meagher, T Long; T King, C McGrath, J Ryan; N McGrath, J McGrath; A McGrath, D Kennedy, C Hennessy; E Sweeney, L McGrath, D Bourke.

Subs: M Webster for D Bourke (41); J Nyland for A McGrath (49); J Hennessy for T Long (52); W Eviston for N McGrath (inj, 60); T McGrath for D Kennedy (60+1).

Red cards: C Hennessy (36, second yellow); J Ryan (59).

Referee: M Collins (Cork)

Dr. Crokes advanced to the final of the Munster GAA Football Senior Club Championship on Saturday for the fourth year in a row with a comfortable 17-point victory over Loughmore-Castleiney. The Kerry champions proved far too strong for the Tipperary outfit, and their bid for three provincial titles in a row remains firmly on course. They will play either Ballinacourty (Waterford) or Cratloe (Clare) in the final. That game takes place on Sunday.

Dr. Crokes lead 1-8 to 1-3 at the break, with Colm Cooper netting their goal from the penalty spot in the 10th minute. Crokes lead by eight points until John McGrath’s 23rd minute penalty brought Loughmore-Castleiney back into it. However, although the Tipperary side managed to cut the gap down to four at one point in the second half, Brian Looney’s goal put Crokes eight ahead, and when it was followed by a superb strike from Kieran O’Leary, the game was effectively over as a contest. Dr. Crokes closed out the final quarter with seven unanswered points while a late red card for Loughmore-Castleiney’s John Ryan completed a difficult day for the vanquished Tipp men.

When – Sunday November 17th at 2:30pm

Where – Dr. Crokes GAA Grounds Killarney

Referee – Michael Collins (Cork)

Extra time – (2 periods x 10 minutes only) to be played if sides finish level at the end of 60 minutes

Replay date – Saturday November 23^rd in a Tipperary venue

Next Round – the winners play Ballinacourty (Waterford) or the Clare champions in the Munster Final on Sunday December 1^st at 2:00pm.

Admission Prices –
Adults – €15
Student/OAP – €10
Under 16s are free

Contact Munster GAA PRO Ed Donnelly at pro.munster@gaa.ie for more information

For the Record

Munster GAA FOOTBALL Club Senior Championship 2013

Quarter-Finals
Sunday November 3^rd

@ Fraher Field Dungarvan Ballinacourty (Waterford) 2-7 Drom-Broadford (Limerick) 0-11

@ Dr. Crokes Killarney Dr. Crokes (Kerry) 1-11 Castlehaven (Cork) 0-8

Semi-Finals (Extra time)
Saturday November 16^th

@ Dr. Crokes Killarney                   Loughmore-Castleiney (Tipperary) v Dr. Crokes (Kerry) 2:30pm

Sunday November 17^th

@ Doonbeg or Cusack Park Ennis          Doonbeg or Cratloe (Clare) v Ballinacourty (Waterford) 2:00pm

Final (Extra time)

Sunday December 1^st

Odds and Ends

Dr. Crokes (Kerry) are looking to win three Munster Club Senior Football titles in a row. The only club to achieve this feat in the past was Nemo Rangers (Cork) who captured three titles in a row from 2000 to 2002, winning the All-Ireland Club title following their 2002 Munster success.

Tipperary clubs have gone 8 consecutive games in the Munster Club Senior Football Championship without a victory. The last success for a Tipperary club was the win of Aherlow over Father Caseys (Limerick) by 1-7 to 0-6 in the 2006 Munster Quarter-Final.

Kerry’s record in the Munster Club Senior Football Championship sees them with 15 titles compared to 27 titles for Cork clubs. Since 2000, Kerry have captured 4 Munster club titles. During Kerry’s Golden Years at Inter-County level, Kerry won just 3 of the 12 Munster Club Senior Football titles on offer (Austin Stacks – 1976 & Castleisland Desmonds 1984 and 1985).

Since St. Patrick’s Day 1996, only 1 of the last 17 Munster Club Senior Football champions (6%) have won the All-Ireland Club Senior Football titles – Nemo Rangers in the 2002/2003 season. Prior to 1996, Munster Clubs captured 15 All-Ireland’s at this grade, an average of 60% dating back to 1971.

From 1964 to 1997, no club outside of Kerry or Cork won the Munster Club Senior Football title (Thomond College representing Limerick won the 1977 title). Since 1998, Kilmurry/Ibrickane (2), Doonbeg and Dromcollogher-Broadford have been successful in winning the Munster Club Senior Football titles.

Munster GAA Club FOOTBALL Senior Championship Roll Of Honour

Cork (27) – 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2010

Kerry (15) – 1964, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2006, 2011, 2012

Clare (3) – 1998, 2004, 2009

Limerick (2) – 1977, 2008

Munster GAA Club FOOTBALL Senior Championship – List of Winning Teams

Visit the Munster GAA web site History section to view the complete list of each winning team since the competition began 1964  – https://munster.gaa.ie/history/sfclub_teams

Munster GAA Club FOOTBALL Senior Championship Finals – 2002 to 2012

2012 – Dr. Crokes, Kerry 0-19 Castlehaven, Cork 0-12

2011 – Dr. Crokes, Kerry 3-14 UCC, Cork 2-10

2010 – Nemo Rangers, Cork 1-15 Dr. Crokes, Kerry 1-13

2009 – Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Clare 0-7 Kerins O’Rahillys, Kerry 0-6

2008 – Dromcollogher-Broadford, Limerick 0-6 Kilmurry-Ibrickane, Clare 0-5

2007 – Nemo Rangers, Cork 1-10 Ballinacourty, Waterford 1-7

2006 – Dr. Crokes, Kerry 2-5 Nire, Waterford 0-8

2005 – Nemo Rangers, Cork 2-12 St. Senan’s Kilkee, Clare 1-6

2004 – Kilmurry Ibrickane, Clare 0-9 Stradbally, Waterford 0-9 (drawn game);
Kilmurry Ibrickane, Clare 0-9 Stradbally, Waterford 0-8 (replay)

2003 – An Ghaeltacht, Kerry 1-8 St. Senan’s Kilkee 1-6

2002 – Nemo Rangers, Cork 4-15 Monaleen, Limerick 0-6

All Ireland GAA Club FOOTBALL Senior Championship

In the Club Senior Football All Ireland Roll of Honour, Cork top the charts with 11 titles followed by Kerry with 5. Limerick have 1 All-Ireland Club Football title courtesy of Thomond College in 1977/1978.

Munster Club Senior FOOTBALL Cup

Club Championship Senior Football Cup – Michael O’Connor Cup

Presented by Munster Council in 1991 to commemorate late Chairman & Treasurer.