Dr Crokes crowned 2024 Kerry Petroleum Senior Club Football Champions
Dr Crokes added to their 2024 Credit Union County Football League Division 1 title with a win over defending Senior Club Football Champions Dingle on a scoreline of 1 – 15 (18) to 0 – 11 (11) at Austin Stack Park, Tralee.
Much as they had done in their Semi-Final win over Rathmore, the Killarney men were quickest out of the blocks. A noticeable difference from their opening round games.
Dingle started the game without injured Kerry All-star Tom O’Sullivan, who had been vital both in the West Kerry men’s defence and in setting up attacks in the group stage of the competition.
Dr Crokes opted to play with the wind, which for the first time this season was blowing in from Killarney towards the Mitchel’s end. A sign of things to come! Although Conor Geaney got the opening score of the game, it was the only time Dingle would lead for the rest of the afternoon.
Approaching the end of the 1st quarter, Dr Crokes had taken a 6-point lead. The platform seemed to be coming from winning the midfield battle and the breaking ball, and the slick inter passing of their forwards.
Tony Brosnan was again in superb form. Not only was he deadly accurate in front of the posts, but his movement of the ball was proving a handful for the Dingle defence.
Another Dr Crokes forward, Micheál Burns, was also in fine form finishing the afternoon with a personal tally of 0 – 04 (0 – 01f). He mustn’t have been very far off the Man-Of-The-Match award.
The Dingle forwards were creating the space alright, but the final pass was not on par with their movement. Both teams could have added a goal each but for the goal line clearances. Dr Crokes went in at half time 1 – 07 (10) to 0 – 05 (05) up.
The second half started with Dr Crokes picking up where they had left off. Dingle players were finding each other and also the target with greater ease. But so were Dr Crokes at the other end.
Dingle’s Dylan Geaney was slotting over some beautiful points from close and long range making use of the wind behind him.
However, tit-for-tat points were not going to get Dingle back in the game. They needed goals. They almost had one but for a fine save from Shane Murphy. It would have been the impetus the holders needed to kickstart a comeback.
Dr Crokes forwards were also making it difficult for Dingle to break from the back.
As it turned out, Pat O’Shea’s men looked the more likely to score goals as Dingle chasing the game opened up gaps in front of Gavin Curran’s goal. Micheál Burns chose to pop one over the bar when a goal was on just to keep the scoreboard ticking over nicely.
The final score of the game went fittingly enough to Man Of The Match, Tony Brosnan. Dr Crokes are fully-deserved 2024 Kerry Petroleum Senior Club Football Champions.
Dingle scorers
Dylan Geaney 0 – 05, Paul Geaney 0 – 03 (0 – 01f), Conor Geaney 0 – 02, Mikey Geaney 0 – 01.
Dr Crokes scorers
Tony Brosnan 0 – 09 (0 – 05f), Cian McMahon 1 – 0, Micheál Burns 0 – 04 (0 – 01f), Evan Looney (0-1).
