1st Round---- Dr Crokes  0-4   ----- Austin Stacks  0-11.(Played in Lewis Road on Tuesday 2nd September)

In a game which we never looked like winning from the start, we went under by seven points to Austin Stacks. While our opponents are a good team and will be formidable opposition for any team in the competition, the absence of one of our midfielders and the spine of our attack did not help our cause.

Stacks got of to a good start with two early points and thereafter never looked in danger of defeat. They went on to score five more points before the break. Our response in this half was just two points from frees to leave us seven points to two in arrears at the interval.

It was more or less a damaged limitation exercise by us in the second half as we restricted them to four points. We again scored just two points from frees  in the second thirty minutes, never being able to penetrate our opponents defence for the major to bring us back into the game. We wish to congratulate Austin Stacks on their 0-11 to 0-4 victory.

Our lads gave it their all but our voyage to get into our fourth consecutive final in a row was never going to materialise.

Team and Scorers; David Neeson; Joseph Keogh, Eoin Clifton, Sean Coppinger; Gordon Buckley, Fionn Fitzgerald, Conor O'Neill; Daithi Casey 0-3(frees) Jonathon Clarke; Mark O'Donoghue, Niall O'Connell, Kieran Ward; Chris Brady, Timmy O'Donoghue, Shane O'Neill 0-1(free).   Subs;  Keith O'Leary, James Barry.

Dr Crokes 3-15 Legion 1-17 (Lewis Rd Tues15th July) (Preliminary Round)

In a game that was a thriller from start to finish and which included twenty minutes of extra time, we triumphed  in the end by four points over our neighbours, Legion.

We got off to a good start with a goal in the third minute. The next score didn't come until the tenth minute, a Legion point. Defences were well on top at this stage, we scoring two points from frees in the 11th and 15th minute and our opponents having their second score of the match in the 23rd minute, an outstanding goal. Even though the game was free flowing and competitive scores were hard to come by, we notching two points to Legion's one in the last five minutes of the half. We just about deserved our half time lead of 1-4 to 1-2.

Two points by our opponents in the first three minutes of the second half without reply made it a level game. The teams then exchanged points and what followed was our most productive ten minutes of the game as we scored 1-2 to Legion's nil to go five points clear as we moved towards the last quarter of the match. At this time in the game one of our players was red carded and our opponents used the extra man to good effect. They cut back the lead with two points but we went four points in front with a minor five minutes from time. The remaining normal time period and most of the eight minutes of injury time belonged to our opponents as they shot over five points without reply to go a point in front. Just before the final whistle we were awarded a difficult free but our talisman Daithi Casey was equal to the task, splitting the uprights with a great kick.

Neither side deserved to lose but extra time had to be played. Legion played well at the start and finish of the first half of extra time, scoring points in the 1st, 2nd and 10th minute. We were on top for the rest of that ten minutes with an unanswered 1-3 for a three point lead going in to the last ten minutes.

We stretched our lead to five points early in the second period but two points by Legion left just a goal between the sides going into the last five minutes. Our defence stood firm in the remaining minutes and the insurance point by Daithi Casey just before the end gave us a four point victory in a memorable game.

Dr Crokes Best Player;   Daithi Casey.

Team and Scorers;  David Neeson; Kieran Ward, Jonathon Clarke, Sean Coppinger; Conor O'Neill, Fionn Fitzgerald 0-2, Niall O'Connell; Daithi Casey 0-10(0-9frees), P.J.Lawlor; Timmy O'Donoghue, David O'Leary 0-1, Chris Brady; Shane O'Neill 1-2, T.J.Cronin 1-0, Mark O'Donoghue.   Subs;  Eoin Clifton, Gordon Buckley 1-0, Chris Lawlor.