Final----------------- Dr Crokes 0-10  South Kerry 1-08  (Fitzgerald Stadium Sun Nov 1st)

  'So near and yet so far'. These words could be attributed to our heartbreaking defeat by a point in last Sunday's final. Our congratulations to South Kerry on their victory. They dug deep in the last two minutes of normal time and turned a one point deficit into a one point victory. Three major decisions, during the course of the game went against us; the first minute penalty, David Moloney's goal and a suspected foul on Eoin Brosnan in the last minute. If any of these calls were in our favour I think we would have at least got a draw. Suffice to say that the man in charge had to make these decisions without the aid of video.

  Our opponents went into the lead with a fourth minute penalty and added on a point a minute later. Even though we had plenty of possession we had to wait until the thirteenth minute to score, a point from a free by Daithi Casey. We added on two more points in the next five minutes, to be just one point behind after 20 minutes. South Kerry finished the half the better, with three points to our one, for an interval lead of 1-4 to 0-4.

  In the first minute of the second half , David Moloney had a goal but this was ruled out for a square ball infringement. We had unanswered points in the 36th and 38th minute to reduce the deficit to a point. Our opponents hit back with a great point in the 44th minute. We then embarked on a tremendous comeback, scoring three points without reply and the lead  for the first time in the game in the 54th minute. South Kerry equalised a minute later but we again went back in front in the 57th minute. We were very nearly over the line at this stage but our opponents rallied and scored two points before the end of normal time to go ahead by a point. Even though five minutes of added time were played we couldn't get the equaliser. The nearest we came to scoring was when Eoin Brosnan went down in the South Kerry square. Pleas however fell on deaf ears and South Kerry were crowned champions for the fourth time in this decade.

 Dr Crokes Best Player;  Brian Looney.

 Every one of our eighteen players who took part in the game can be proud of the display they gave against a top class South Kerry Team. Our thanks also to our Manager Harry O'Neill and his selectors. We must not forget our backroom staff and all the other members of our panel who trained so diligently all the year.

  Team and Scorers;  Kieran Cremin; David O'Leary, James Cahillane, John Payne; Mike Moloney, Eoin Brosnan (capt), Gavin Tucker; Ambrose O'Donovan, Johnny Buckley 0-1; Kieran O'Leary0-1 , Andrew Kenneally, Brian Looney 0-4; Colm Cooper 0-1(free), David Moloney, Daithi Casey 0-3(frees).   Subs; Jamie Doolan, Fionn Fitzgerald, Shane Myers.  

Semi-Final  --------  Dr Crokes  1-9 -------- Feale  Rangers  0-7  (Played in Tralee on Sunday 18th October)

  A great last ten minutes in which we scored four points without reply gave us a five point victory over Feale Rangers. The game was level at half time but our opponents went into a one point lead after forty minutes, thanks to they scoring two points to our one in that ten minute period. We had a goal by David Moloney in the 43rd minute, followed by a point by Feale Rangers, to leave us just a point in front. We dominated the last ten minutes, scoring four points for a five point victory.

  We has the first score of the game, a Colm Cooper point from a free. Our opponents were well on top in the next ten minutes. During this period they had four points without reply. They failed to score for the rest of the half while we scored three points to give us equality at the end of the thirty minutes, four points each.

  The teams exchanged points in the first five minutes of the second half. Our opponents went a point in front in the 42nd minute but we had a goal a minute later. Feale Rangers had a point in the 50th minute to reduce the deficit to a point. This proved to be their last score of the half. We finished with a flourish and registered four points for a five point win.

 Dr Crokes Best Player;  Colm Cooper.

  Team and Scorers;  Kieran Cremin; David O'Leary, James Cahillane, John Payne; Mike Moloney, Eoin Brosnan, Gavin Tucker; Ambrose O'Donovan, Johnny Buckley 0-2(0-1-45); Kieran O'Leary 0-1, Andrew Kenneally, Brian Looney 0-1; Colm Cooper 0-3(frees), David Moloney 1-0, Daithi Casey 0-2(frees).  Subs; Jamie Doolan, Fionn Fitzgerald.

                                         Quarter  Final.

      Dr Crokes 5-17    ------  St Brendans  3-8(Played in Tralee on Sunday 11th October)

  Even though this could be called the 'Colm Cooper show'( he scored 3-7, 3-4 off play) and gave an outstanding display, Colm would be the first to say that this was a very good team performance. St Brendans are a very decent team but when you are hit with five goals in the first half ,your whole game will suffer. In fairness they never gave up and the 3-8 that they scored would have won most matches.

 We had a point in the first minute but our opponents had two points to go a point ahead after five minutes. Our five goals came in the next 25 minutes, three from Colm Cooper and one each from Ambrose O'Donovan and Eoin Brosnan. St Brendans had a very good goal in the 23rd minute but during the same 25 minutes we scored six points to their two. This left us with an unassailable 5-7 to 1-4 lead at the interval.

 Our opponents got some heart from a goal just after the break but we added on two points in the next five minutes for a fourteen point lead. Even though St Brendans breached our defence for another goal in the 50th minute, we kept on adding points to our total for a clear cut win at the finish.

   Dr Crokes Best Player;  Colm Cooper.

  Team and Scorers;  Kieran Cremin; Mike Moloney, James Cahillane 0-1, John Payne; Fionn Fitzgerald 0-1, Eoin Brosnan 1-0, Gavin Tucker; Ambrose O'Donovan 1-0, Johnny Buckley; Daithi Casey 0-1, Andrew Kenneally 0-1, Brian Looney 0-3; Colm Cooper 3-7( 0-3frees), David Moloney, Kieran O'Leary 0-2.  Subs;  David O'Leary, Keith McMahon, Batt Moriarty, Jamie Doolan 0-1, James Fleming.

Dr Crokes V Legion    --- Sunday 4th October (Fitzgerald Stadium) 2nd Round.

This local Derby was keenly contested throughout. Two very productive periods in the second half, from the 40th to the 46th period, during which we scored four point without reply and again from the 49th to the 53rd minute when we outscored our opponents 0-3 to nil. The game was fairly close during the remainder of the match..

The teams exchanged points in the first two minutes but we raced into an 0-5 to 0-2 lead by the tenth minute. Legion had a good spell in the next ten minutes and scored three unanswered points. We had the better of the last ten minutes, with two points to our opponents one and a half time lead of 0-7 to 0-6.

The teams exchanged points on two occasions in first ten minutes of the second half. We then had the first of our productive periods, scoring four valuable points for an 0-13 to 0-8 lead. Our opponents cut the deficit with a point in the 48th minute but we got on top again in the next five minutes and raced into a seven point lead. Legion had the last score of the game in the 57th minute, a point, to leave us winners 0-16 to 0-10.

Dr Crokes Best Player;  James Cahillane.

Team and Scorers; Kieran Cremin; John Payne, James Cahillane 0-1, Keith McMahon; Batt Moriarty, Mike Moloney, Gavin Tucker; Ambrose O'Donovan, Johnny Buckley 0-1; Kieran O'Leary 0-2, Andrew Kenneally 0-1, Brian Looney; Colm Cooper 0-6(frees), David Moloney 0-2, Daithi Casey 0-3(0-2frees).

Dr Crokes 1-11  West Kerry   0-13

Picture the scene;  down four points with twelve minutes to go and playing poorly. Are we on our way to the losers round of the Senior County Championship?. Colm Cooper converts a penalty in the 48th minute and sends over the equalising point a minute later. For the first time in the game we are fighting for possession. West Kerry go a point ahead in the 53rd minute but we equalise a minute later. We then had a very good three minutes and scored two points without reply, to go two points in front. Our opponents get one back in the 58th minute. In the last two minutes of normal time and five minutes of injury time we had to withstand a lot of pressure to hold on for a one point win. One would have to admit that our opponents deserved a draw.

We had a point in the 2nd minute but West Kerry equalised a minute later. We then went two points in front but our opponents were back on level terms by the end of the first quarter. The teams exchanged points in the next five minutes but a point by Brian Looney in the 25th minute gave us an interval lead of 0-5 to 0-4.

Our opponents started the second half the better, with two points in as many minutes but we equalised in the 35th minute. West Kerry dominated the next five minutes and had three points without reply. We got a point back in the 41st minute but two points by our opponents put them four points clear with twelve minutes to go. I have described above what happened in these remaining minutes. Suffice to say that we got out of jail and avoided the losers round.

I have no doubt that we will improve and have to improve. There were more negatives than positives to take out of the game. We fouled far too much inside our own thirty yard line and presented them with eight points from placed balls. We never fought for the breaking ball within the two forty fives, which gave them an amount of possession.

Best in defence were John Payne, Fionn Fitzgerald and  substitute Gavin Tucker. We won the aerial battle at midfield but were consistently beaten for the breaking ball around this sector. Best in attack were Colm Cooper, Brian Looney and substitute Daithi Casey.

Dr Crokes best player;  Colm Cooper.

Team and Scorers; Alan Kelly; Fionn Fitzgerald 0-1, Luke Quinn, John Payne; Batt Moriarty, James Cahillane, Mike Moloney; Johnny Buckley 0-1, Ambrose O'Donovan; Kieran O'Leary 0-1, Eoin Brosnan 0-1, Brian Looney 0-3(0-1free); Colm Cooper 1-2(0-1free), David Moloney, James Fleming.   Subs;  Daithi Casey 0-1, Gavin Tucker 0-1, Andrew Kenneally, Keith McMahon.