Dr Crokes land 15th Kerry SFC title after scoring surge against Kenmare Shamrocks

Dr Crokes 1-24 Kenmare Shamrocks 2-14

Dr Crokes are champions of Kerry again, with a late devastating burst delivering a 15th title against a Kenmare Shamrocks team who had a ringside seat to the awesome scoring power of the new champions when they get in their groove.

Having trailed for three-quarters of the game – and finding themselves seven points down in just the 10th minute – Dr Crokes did what they so often do, and nine unanswered points in a four-minute period late in the second half flipped the contest on its head.

A gallant Kenmare Shamrocks team, appearing in their first ever county final, simply had no answer to the power of Dr Crokes, with even the superb Sean O’Shea – who posted nine points – powerless to stop the Killarney club’s surge.

The victory moves Dr Crokes two clear at the top of the roll of honour, sees them regain the title they held two years ago and delivers a remarkable ninth county championship medal for Brian Looney and Fionn Fitzgerald.

For Kenmare Shamrocks – only a senior club for the last decade – this will be a tough defeat to swallow having led by two points with 10 minutes to go before being blown away.

Tony Brosnan, twice, David Shaw and Tom Doyle raised orange flags in rapid succession between the 52nd and 55th minutes and when Cian McMahon raised a white flag the Killarney club went from two points behind to seven in front.

There was a late exchange of pointed frees between Sean O’Shea and Brosnan, but Dr Crokes were celebrating another county championship success by then.

It has all started so well for Kenmare who ran up a 1-3 to no score lead after just seven minutes; the goal coming from David Ciuciu’s fist in the sixth minute as the underdogs played with a stiff wind advantage under a winter sun.

Dr Crokes finally got a score from Alex Hennigan, and they picked away at the scoreboard through the second quarter with Brosnan, Cillian Fitzgerald, Charlie Keating and Shaw among the scorers as they trailed 1-8 to 0-7 at the interval.

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The Crokes started the second half with a 32nd-minute goal from Mark O’Shea, but Kenmare struck back within 30 seconds with Kevin O’Sullivan getting the final touch to restore his team’s four-point lead.

By the 42nd minute Dr Crokes had pulled level, 1-12 to 2-9, and while the Shamrocks momentarily pushed the lead back out to three thanks to Sean O’Shea (two-point free) and Donal O’Sullivan, the Kenmare men – who had Jack O’Sullivan sent off late for a second yellow card – had no answer to Dr Crokes’ late, great scoring blitz.

Dr Crokes: Shane Murphy, Cllian Fitzgerald (0-1), Fionn Fitzgerald, Mark Fitzgerald, Evan Looney, Gavin White, Brian Looney (0-1), Charlie Keating (0-1), Mark O’Shea (1-0), Maidhcí Lynch, David Shaw (0-7, 2tp), Tom Doyle (0-2tp), Tony Brosnan (0-7, 3tp, 3f), Cian McMahon (0-2), Alex Hennigan (0-3). Subs: Adam Byrne for M Lynch (46), Neil O’Shea for C Fitzgerald (52), Michael Potts for C McMahon (60), Billy Courtney for D Shaw (60), Mark O’Carroll for T Doyle (60)

Kenmare Shamrocks: Kieran Fitzgibbon, Liam O’Sullivan, Dara O’Shea, Tommy Cronin, Dan McCarthy, Darragh O’Connor, Jimmy Lehane (0-1), David Ciuciu (1-0), Kevin O’Sullivan (1-0), Jack O’Sullivan (0-1), Seanie O’Shea (0-9, 3tpf, 2f), Stephen O’Brien, Eoghan McCarthy, Dónal O’Sullivan (0-2), Tom Murnane (0-1). Subs: Jack Tangney for E McCarthy (39), Zach O’Shea for J Lehane (46), David Hallissey for S O’Brien (53)

REFEREE: Sean Joy