Andrew Whelton, Castlehaven, and Mark O'Shea, Dr Crokes, in AIB Munster Club SFC action. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
AIB Munster Club SFC Quarter-Final
Dr Crokes 1-15 Castlehaven 1-8
By Paul Brennan at Dr Crokes Grounds, Killarney
Castlehaven relinquished their Munster Club SFC title after a seven-point loss away to Kerry champions Dr Crokes in a hotly contested provincial quarter-final that was very much decided by a Tony Brosnan penalty for the winners and a red card for the losers.
Brosnan dispatched an early second half penalty goal to move Dr Crokes four points ahead, and when Cork panellist Brian Hurley was sent off at the three-quarter mark this contest swung irreversibly the way of the Kerry champions.
The result means Dr Crokes – back on the Munster stage for the first time in eight years - move on to a provincial semi-final against Waterford champions Rathgormack, and they will be warm favourites to win the club’s ninth Munster title.
Leading 0-6 to 0-5 at half time Crokes upped the ante in the second half with 1-2 in the first nine minutes to open up a six-point lead, which Castlehaven just couldn’t close, despite a late goal from Damien Cahalane’s penalty.
Brosnan and Micheal Burns gave Crokes the early lead, but Castlehaven hit back with points from Cathal Maguire, Andrew Whelton and Hurley as the contest settled into a lively one.
Charlie Keating had the best chance for a goal but his shot screwed wide in the 14th minute, but Keating and Brosnan closed the half with late scores to see Crokes lead by one at the interval.
The second half was just two minutes old when Cian McMahon won a penalty, which Brosnan dispatched past Darragh Cahalane, and points from Brosnan and McMahon pushed Crokes 1-8 to 0-5 ahead.
Dr Crokes were 1-9 to 0-7 ahead when Hurley was sent off, and the Kerry champions were still six ahead when Cahalane’s penalty halved the difference on 60 minutes. That gave Castlehaven a glimmer of hope but Kieran O’Leary, Brosnan (2) and Burns all found the target in five additional minutes and that was that.
Scorers for Dr Crokes: T Brosnan 1-7 (1-0 pen, 3fs), M Burns 0-2 (1f), K O’Leary 0-2, C Keating, M Potts, C McMahon, M Lynch 0-1 each
Scorers for Castlehaven: Damien Cahalane 1-0 (pen), B Hurley 0-3 (2fs), T O’Mahony, J O’Neill, A Whelton, C Maguire, C Cahalane 0-1 each
Dr Crokes: S Murphy; E Looney, F Fitzgerald, M Lynch, C Keating, White, B Looney; M O’Shea, M Potts, C Keating; M Burns, G O’Shea, T Doyle; T Brosnan, D Shaw, C McMahon.
Subs: Kieran O’Leary for C Keating (44), John Payne for T Doyle (50), Daithi Casey for C McMahon (50), David Naughton for M Potts (56)
Castlehaven: Darragh Cahalane, J O’Driscoll, T O’Mahony, J O’Regan, J Walsh, R Minihane, J O’Neill, M Collins, A Whelton, B Hurley, C Maguire, J Cahalane, S Browne, M Hurley, C Cahalane.
Subs: Damien Cahalane for J Walsh (41), Conor O’Driscoll for S Browne (47), Michael Maguire for R Minihane (52), Ronan Walsh for J O’Driscoll (52), Ciaran O’Sullivan for A Whelton (56).
Referee: Sean Lonergan (Tipperary).
