Roche double helps East Kerry past South as champions Dr Crokes win battle of Killarney

East Kerry 4-12
South Kerry 2-10

TWO FIRST-HALF goals from Dara Roche laid the foundation for East Kerry to book their place in the last four of the Kerry SFC with an eight-point win over last year’s beaten county finalists South Kerry.

Dara Roche (file pic)

Source: Ryan Byrne/INPHO

A third goal from David Clifford — 10 minutes into the second half — killed off any chance of a South Kerry comeback, which was already on life-support when Oran Clifford was red carded in the opening seconds of the second half.

The first quarter couldn’t separate the teams as they stood on four points apiece after 17 minutes, and when Bryan Sheehan rolled in a goal for South Kerry in the 24th minute, East Kerry’s response was to score one of their own, through Roche, less than a minute later. Points from Dara Moynihan and Clifford had East Kerry 2-7 to 1-4 ahead at the interval.

South Kerry made three changes at the break but one of them, Oran Clifford, was less than a minute on the field when he was sent off for an incident with his namesake, Paudie.

David Clifford finds the back of the net for East Kerry! pic.twitter.com/4HA3JUxi7P

— The GAA (@officialgaa) September 30, 2018

East Kerry were 2-10 to 1-6 ahead when Roche fed David Clifford for an easy goal in the 40th minute. They completed an easier than expected win with a fourth goal from substitute Noel Duggan eight minutes from the end, despite a consolation goal from Ciaran Keating with the last kick of the game.

Dr Crokes 1-20
Legion 0-9

Earlier in the day Dr Crokes affirmed their status as top dog in Killarney with a routine and ruthless take down of their town rivals, Legion, in a disappointingly one-sided quarter-final. And the 14-point win sends a clear message to the other three teams left in the competition that the reigning county champions won’t be relinquishing their title without a serious challenge, despite an unsteady start to their defence.

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Dr Crokes (file pic).

Source: Tom Beary/INPHO

The opening point from Legion might have hinted at a competitive derby to come but the next 13 points came from Dr Crokes and that was pretty much the story of the first half. Tony Brosnan took up from where he left off in the third round win over West Kerry and scored six of those points, with a couple of converted frees from Daithi Casey and a brace from Brian Looney as Crokes took a 0-13 to 0-1 lead to the interval.

The first three points after the restart were Legion’s, including two from James O’Donoghue, but the comeback was short-lived when Looney rolled the ball past Kerry goalkeeper Brian Kelly after the ball had broke kindly to him off Brosnan and two Legion defenders.

That was game, set and match for Dr Crokes and it was simply a matter of how much they’d win by. Colm Cooper came in off the Dr Crokes bench to kick a point as Brosnan finished the game with nine scores.

Colm Cooper.

Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO

O’Donoghue ended the game with six points but Legion never drew a save from Shane Murphy and they tamely exited the Championship after their early promise in the first two rounds.

Kerry SFC semi-final draw

  • Kerins O’Rahillys v Dr Crokes
  • Dingle v East Kerry

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