O'Donoghue Cup E/K Championship

1/4 Final Dr Crokes V Spa

Saturday. Oct 14th @ 4.00p.m. Lewis Road

Dr Crokes  5-15  ----- Spa  1-3(Played in Lewis Rd on Sat 14th Oct 06)

In anticipation of a very tough, tight game our management had prepared their team as they would for a final but Spa never mounted their usual championship challenge. We probably played as well as we could whereas Spa never got going.

The game was fairly even as regards territorial advantage in the first twenty minutes even though we led 1-4 to nil.In that period even though we had wind advantage our opponents had several chances to put up scores but wasted them.We more or less ended the game as a contest in the last six minutes of this half when we struck for three goals, two by Colm Cooper and one from Brian Looney.As we had also scored a point in the 22nd minute we enjoyed a 4-5 to nil score at the interval.

Considering that their was plenty up and down play in the third quarter we added on 1-5 to our total without reply.Even though the teams scored more or less the same in the final quarter there was no way back for Spa at this stage.

While our mentors must have been happy with our display one would have to say that nothing went right for our opponents and they deserved to be far closer on the scoreboard at the end.

Dr Crokes best player;  Colm Cooper.

 Team and Scorers;  Kieran Cremin; Shane Doolan, Luke Quinn, Keith McMahon; Bat Moriarty, Brian McMahon 0-1, Mike Moloney; Ambrose O'Donovan 1-0, Kieran Brosnan 0-1; Brian Looney 1-4, Andrew Kennelly 1-0, James Fleming 0-2(frees), Colm Cooper 2-4(0-3frees,1-0 pen), Eoin Brosnan, Kieran O'Leary 0-2. Subs; Eanna Kavanagh, Nicholas Murphy 0-1, Vince Cooper, John Payne, Edmund O'Sullivan.

O'Donoghue Cup Semi-Final

              Dr Crokes  3-9  ------------- Gneeveguilla  2-8 (Played in Fitzgerald Stadium on Sunday 3rd Dec 06)

Our experience was a major factor in this win over Gneeveguilla. Going into the last quarter our seven point half time lead had been knocked down to two points and our opponents had the gale force wind to their back for the last fifteen minutes. We did not however panic but settled down to the task in hand. We quickly added on two points and then in the 53rd minute Eanna Kavanagh struck for a good goal to restore our seven point lead. Both teams exchanged points after that and Gneeveguilla went on to score the last three points of the game to leave us four points ahead at the end.

With the wind at our back in the first half we made the early running and led 3 points to nil after eight minutes. We were a point down before the end of the first quarter when our opponents added on a point followed by a great goal. The second quarter however belonged to us, scoring 2-2 without reply to give us a 2-6 to 1-2 interval lead.

On the resumption we gave away an easy goal and when Gneeneguilla added on two points without reply there were only two points between the teams. We did show good character after that and responded to the challenge with an unanswered 1-2 and a seven point lead. Our opponents were on top in the last five minutes and outscored us fourpoints to one to narrow the gap to four points at the final whistle.

One would have to be happy with our display as we faced a formidable Gneeveguilla team who would have had most of the team who were successful in the competition in 2003.

Dr Crokes Best Player;  Colm Cooper.

Team and Scorers; Kieran Cremin; Keith McMahon, Luke Quinn, Mike Moloney; Batt Moriarty, Brian McMahon 0-1, Eanna Kavanagh 1-0; Ambrose O'Donovan, Eoin Brosnan; Brian Looney 1-0, Kieran Brosnan, James Fleming 0-1(free), Colm Cooper 1-5(0-1pen), Nicholas Murphy, Kieran O'Leary 0-2.  Subs;  James Cahillane, Shane Doolan, Edmund O'Sullivan, Vince Cooper, David Moloney.

 

         O'Donoghue Cup Final

                          Dr Crokes  3-6 ------- Kilcummin  2-6(Played in Fitzgerald Stadium on 17/12/06)

 We won our 22nd East Kerry Championship title by defeating Kilcummin by a goal at Fitzgerald Stadium. On a very calm dry day it is hard to explain how we could only score one point in the second half, having notched 3-5 in the first thirty minutes. I think it was a combination of three things. Our opponents upped their display; we went into a defensive type game, surrendering the middle of the park to Kilcummin or maybe the legs of our players are feeling the effects of playing six vital games in as many weeks.

 The teams exchanged points in the first three minutes. Points by Kieran O'Leary and Colm Cooper in 7th and 9th minute and a goal by Andrew Kennelly in the 18th minute put us 1-3 to 0-1 ahead. Within two minutes our opponents had a goal and a point , closing the gap to a point.We finished the half much the stronger, scoring 2-2 to our opponents two points. This left us seven points ahead at the break, 3-5 to 2-4.

      Like the previous Sunday's Munster final it is hard to analyse our second half display. From being a potent attacking unit we struggled to get the ball into our full forward line. We had to defend heroically and our backs for the second week in a row were outstanding.Despite their domination in this period Kilcummin scored just 1-2 as we advanced to the last few minutesof the game. Our only score of this half , a pointed free by James Fleming in the 29th minute put us three points in front, a lead we held on to to the final whistle.

 It was hard luck on Kilcummin to fall short for the third time in four years. For our part , our forwards were a revelation in the first half while the second half plaudits go to our defence who stood firm despite being on the back foot for most of the second thirty minutes.

 We scored eleven goals in our three O'Donoghue Cup games, five against Spa, Three against Gneeveguilla and three more in this final.

 Dr Crokes Best Player; Keith McMahon;

 Best wishes for a speedy recovery to Andrew Kennelly.

 Team and Scorers; Kieran Cremin, Keith McMahon, Luke Quinn, Mike Moloney; Batt Moriarty, James Cahillane, Eanna Kavanagh; Ambrose O'Donovan, Eoin Brosnan 0-1; Brian Looney, Andrew Kennelly 1-0, James Fleming 0-1(free); Colm Cooper 1-2(0-1free), Brian McMahon, Kieran O'Leary 1-2;  Subs; Nicholas Murphy, Kieran Brosnan, Vince Cooper.        

  In our three games in the O'Donoghue Cup Championship we scored eleven goals and thirty points(11-30).                                          Colm Cooper 4-11(0-4frees, 0-1pen), Brian Looney 2-4, Kieran OLeary 1-6, Andrew Kennelly 2-0, James Fleming 0-4(frees), Ambrose O'Donovan 1-0, Eanna Kavanagh 1-0, Brian McMahon 0-2, Kieran Brosnan 0-1, Eoin Brosnan 0-1, Nicholas Murphy 0-1.