Brosnan and Burns show necessary class to lead Dr Crokes to Munster glory
SWEET SUCCESS: Micheál Burns of Dr Crokes, 10, celebrates after his side's victory. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
The sprinklings of Crokes class were late arriving. Somebody forgot to load them onto the team bus. They arrived in Mallow eventually. Scarce enough though the sprinklings were, they were more than sufficient.
For Errigal Ciaran, triumphant in the Ulster decider on Sunday evening, their All-Ireland semi-final analysis will begin, will be dominated by, and will finish with Micheál Burns and Tony Brosnan.
Sure, they will acknowledge Gavin White’s line-breaking, Mark O’Shea’s aerial threat off either restart, Gavin O’Shea’s link-play, and David Shaw’s capacity to cause wreck at full-forward.
But once the tapes have been studied, it will become abundantly clear that Burns and Brosnan are the arteries of this Crokes side.
When this Munster final began to emerge from its suffocated and vacuum-packed first half state, it was Burns and Brosnan carving out the openings and chalking up the white flags.
Neither individual, along with several more of their teammates, would have been remotely satisfied with their first half endeavours. Amends were quickly made.
After Tom Doyle’s second half opener, Burns won and converted a free. Tony Brosnan quickly followed. Not even five minutes of the second period elapsed and Crokes were already darting clear at 0-7 to 0-3.
Off either foot, Brosnan raised three white flags in the 13 minutes after half-time. He’d add a fourth on 48 minutes. Burns followed with another free won and free converted. 0-11 to 0-5. Game over.
The closing stages were marked by a beautiful Kieran O’Leary pair and a Philip O’Connell consolation goal at the far end. Munster crown number nine for Crokes, their first in six years.
A predictable opening half followed played out in predictable fashion. Loughmore-Castleiney, despite a slight wind at their back, positioned and parked 14 bodies inside their own half. Crokes, consequently, spent the half prodding and poking.
Loughmore-Castleiney had watched Rathgormack’s defence-first approach unsettle Crokes and almost deliver a sensational result. Loughmore-Castleiney, accepting their own limitations, said to themselves, to mirror that approach represents our only road to success.
It would have been fascinating to have had a clock recording Loughmore-Castleiney time spent in the opposition half. It would have been a minute clocking. This was an opening half spent almost exclusively in the opposition half.
This was an opening half of Crokes attempting to play around and through the green and red wall. And you have to credit said green and red wall. It was organised, coherent, and for the most part disciplined.
The contrasting expectations were amplified by the respective supporters. Loughmore’s faithful cheered turnovers, frees won, and frees brought forward. Crokes cheered the ball being put over the bar.
Brian Looney, after telegraphing a lazy Loughmore pass coming out of defence, and Micheál Burns, after his teammates won the ensuing restart, put the ball over the bar twice in quick succession around the 22-minute mark to leave the Kerry champions 0-4 to 0-1 in front.
Their opponents had kicked their one and only point three minutes earlier. Liam Treacy’s kick was their first on or off target of the Munster final.
A foul on Liam McGrath, converted by the same player, gave Loughmore their second on 25 minutes. They finished the half just one behind. It came from another defensive turnover. Crokes manager Pat O’Shea went berserk when a handpass to David Shaw was overcooked.
Loughmore travelled down the field, Fionn Fitzgerald fouled Liam McGrath, and the double Tipp champions disappeared under the main stand to a standing ovation.
There was no standing ovation for either at full-time. Crokes had taken care of business as they had come to do, and didn’t feel the need to over celebrate such. Higher peaks have their attention.
M Burns (0-2 frees), T Brosnan (0-5 each); T Doyle, K O’Leary (0-2 each); B Looney (0-1) Scorers for Loughmore-Castleiney: L McGrath (0-3, 0-3 frees); P O’Connell (1-0); L Treacy (0-2); A McGrath (0-1).
S Murphy; E Looney, F Fitzgerald, M Lynch; C Keating, G White, B Looney; M O’Shea, M Potts; M Burns, G O’Shea, C McMahon; T Brosnan, D Shaw, T Doyle;
K O’Leary for McMahon (45) D Naughton for Keating (53); A Hennigan for Doyle, D Casey for Shaw (both 58); M Cooper for Potts (60).
J Hennessy; J Ryan, W Eviston, L Egan; E O’Connell, T McGrath, J Meagher; L Treacy, J McGrath; T Maher, B McGrath, E Connolly; L McGrath, N McGrath, C McGrath.
P O’Connell for McGrath (HT); C Connolly for J McGrath (46); A McGrath for T McGrath, E Connolly for T Maher (both 52).
C Lane (Cork).
