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Colm Cooper saw his side progress today. Donall Farmer/INPHO
Back in the big time

13-man Dr Crokes see off Dingle as Kenmare survive Rathmore test to set up Kerry final

The Kerry semi-final clashes were played today at Fitzgerald Stadium.

Kerry SFC semi-finals

Dr Crokes 1-15
Dingle 0-15

DR CROKES LOST two of their Kerry senior players to red cards in the finale but survived a strong challenge from Dingle to book a place at Fitzgerald Stadium this afternoon in a first county senior final since 2013.

In the closing stages Dr Crokes duo Colm Cooper and Fionn Fitzgerald both received black cards – after earlier being shown yellow cards – which resulted in them seeing red and being dismissed.

But by that juncture, Dr Crokes had done enough to clinch victory with Cooper contributing 0-4 overall and Eoin Brosnan hitting a crucial second-half goal that transpired to be only green flag raised during the game.

Dingle were strongly in contention throughout with Paul and Conor Geaney along with Tom Leo O’Sullivan and Cathal Bambury all contributing on the scoreboard.

They trailed 0-9 to 0-7 at the interval before quickly bagging points to bring Dr Crokes back to parity. Brosnan pounced for that key strike to the net in the 38th minute as they went three points clear before Dingle rattled off three in a row to draw level once more.

However Dr Crokes strung together a sequence of points to close out the game courtesy of Ambrose O’Donovan, Micheal Burns, Cooper and goalkeeper Shane Murphy, who had earlier made a crucial save to deny Mikey Geaney a goal.

Success propels Dr Crokes, who completed four successive titles between 2010 and 2013, back into a final.

Eoin Brosnan Eoin Brosnan struck the only goal of the game in the first semi-final Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

Kenmare District 0-20
Rathmore 0-19

DIVISIONAL OUTFIT KENMARE District booked their place in a Kerry county senior final for the first time since 1987 when they achieved a narrow victory in a pulsating second semi-final against Rathmore in Fitzgerald Stadium.

Their victory sets up a repeat of that 1987 decider against Dr Crokes and will see club players from Kenmare and Templenoe join together a week before they will face off in the county intermediate final.

With Paul O’Connor, Adrian Spillane and Patrick Clifford impressing, Kenmare District went in front 0-13 to 0-10 at the interval. Rathmore kept in touch with 2014 All-Ireland minor winner Shane Ryan scoring freely while county duo Aidan O’Mahony and Paul Murphy also chipped in.

Aidan O’Mahony Kerry senior footballer Aidan O'Mahony lined out for Rathmore today. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO

However Kenmare took over after half-time with O’Connor and the Kerry senior pair of Stephen O’Brien and Tadgh Morley raising white flags. It was 0-18 to 0-12 during the third quarter in favour of Kenmare before Rathmore reeled off six points without reply as they launched a stunning comeback with Mark Reen and O’Mahony central to their progress.

It was 0-18 apiece before this year’s All-Ireland minor winning captain Sean O’Shea bagged a crucial pair of points to send Kenmare District ahead by two. Rathmore tried to salvage the game and came close late on when Paul Murphy’s piledriver went just over the bar.

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