Minor Div. 1 Co. League Semi Final
Austin Stacks 0-15; Dr. Crokes 1-9.
Straight from the throw-in Greg Horan’s perfect free was won by Danny Carroll who transferred to the inrushing Shane Crowley who pointed after just 36 seconds.
Crokes then scored two by the 5th minute but we were back on level terms three minutes later when another surging run by Shane Crowley found Eamon McAllen who linked with Danny Carroll for a point.
A further exchange of points (ours coming this time from wing back, Joseph O’Kelly) was followed by another attack by Crokes which had goal written all over it but team captain, Paul Galvin made a vital intervention.
Good work by James Galvin found Ciaran O’Connell who put us back in the lead (0-4 to 0-3) at the end of the first quarter.
Crokes had a very good second quarter, holding us to just one point (by Danny Carroll, after brilliant work by Man of the Match, Conor Jordan), while scoring four themselves to leave them ahead by two at the interval (0-7 to 0-5).
Eight minutes of the second half had elapsed when Barry Walsh lobbed a free into the square and a spectacular volley by Greg Horan landed over the bar. Two more points by Kyle Fitzgibbon (free) and Alan Duggan saw us back in the lead for the 3rd time after 41 minutes.
But in this tit-for-tat game Crokes were back in the lead again by the 46th minute (0-9 to 0-8).
However, points by Eamon McAllen (47m), Greg Horan (49m, after a brilliant run by Tom McLoughlin) and Ciaran Flanagan (52m), put us into a two points lead for the first time in the game.
But then, a minute later, we suffered a hammer blow when Crokes got the only goal of the game after Shane Begley’s brilliant initial save broke across the square to be side-footed to the net.
Going one down again would have a negative effect on another team, but these boys never surrender and in the closing ten minutes (including three of added time) we put over four brilliant points from Eamon McAllen, Kyle Fitzgibbon (2), and Ciaran Flanagan.
Team: Shane Begley, Tom McLoughlin, Barry Walsh, Paul Galvin (Capt), Joseph O’Kelly (0-1), Conor Jordan, Aidan McQuinn, Ciaran O’Connell (0-1), Shane Walsh, Shane Crowley (0-1), Greg Horan (0-2), Alan Duggan (0-1), James Galvin, Eamon McAllen (0-2), Danny Carroll (0-2).
Subs: Eoghan McKivergan (26m), Kyle Fitzgibbon (ht) (0-3 – 1 free)), Ciaran Flanagan (48m) (0-2).
So now it’s on to the Final (which, more than likely, will be in two weeks time, after Kerry’s semi final on the 16th May). And it will be an all Tralee affair against Mitchels or O’Rahillys.