The Daily Star Ireland
Dr Crokes secured their ninth Munster Club SFC title with a commanding second-half display, defeating Loughmore-Castleiney 0-15 to 1-06 in Mallow. Tony Brosnan and Micheál Burns each contributed 0-05, capping off a stellar 2024 for the Killarney team, who achieved a clean sweep of Kerry league, club, county, and Munster titles. They now look ahead to an All-Ireland semi-final against the Ulster champions, with hopes of adding a fifth trophy in the new year.
Loughmore-Castleiney, who fielded 13 players over the age of 30, saw their successful year come to a disappointing end. The first half featured cautious play, with only eight shots taken, seven of which were on target. It wasn’t until the 41st minute that either side recorded a wide shot. Despite facing the wind, Dr Crokes dominated the first 20 minutes, employing precise tackling to stifle Loughmore’s running game and effectively managing possession to run down the clock.
Kerry hurler Tom Doyle opened the scoring, followed by a point from Burns after some excellent defensive work by man of the match Maidhcí Lynch. There was a lull in shooting between the seventh and 20th minutes until Loughmore’s captain, Liam Treacy, finally attempted a shot. Dr Crokes briefly regained momentum with a quick double, with Brian Looney intercepting a pass from Noel McGrath to score, and Burns adding another from the subsequent kickout. However, some sloppy play led to turnovers, allowing Liam McGrath to convert two frees, narrowing the halftime gap to 0-04 to 0-03.
In the second half, Dr Crokes leveraged the wind to their advantage, starting with points from Doyle, a Burns free, and Brosnan. Loughmore responded with scores from Liam Treacy and Liam McGrath, but Brosnan continued to shine, adding two more points and nearly scoring a goal, which was saved by Joey Hennessy. Dr Crokes then went on a six-point streak with contributions from Brosnan, Burns, and substitute Kieran O’Leary.
Despite a late goal from Phillip O’Connell for Loughmore, Dr Crokes maintained control and secured a decisive victory.
The final scoreline reflected Dr Crokes’ dominance and tactical efficiency, with standout performances from Brosnan and Burns leading the way.
Lineups
Dr Crokes Lineup:
- S Murphy; E Looney, F Fitzgerald, M Lynch; C Keating, G White, B Looney (0-01); M O’Shea, M Potts; M Burns (0-05, 2f), G O’Shea, T Doyle (0-02); T Brosnan (0-05), D Shaw, C McMahon.
- Subs: K O’Leary (0-02) for McMahon (45), D Naughton for Keating (54), D Casey for Shaw (58), A Hennigan for Doyle (58), M Cooper for Potts (60+2).
Loughmore-Castleiney Lineup:
- J Hennessy; L Egan, J Ryan, W Eviston; E O’Connell, T McGrath, J Meagher; J McGrath, L Treacy (0-02); T Maher, B McGrath, Eamon Connolly; L McGrath (0-03, 3f), Ciarán McGrath, N McGrath.
- Subs: P O’Connell (1-00) for C McGrath (h-t), C Connolly for J McGrath (46), A McGrath (0-01) for T McGrath (52), D McCahey for Ryan (52), Ed Connolly for Maher (52).
