Munster SFC quarter-final round-up: Dr Crokes end Castlehaven’s title defence

A heavyweight meeting of the Kerry and Cork champions in Killarney was settled by two knock-out blows: a Tony Brosnan goal from the penalty spot early in the second half and the sending off of Brian Hurley for the visitors after 45 minutes.
The result means Castlehaven relinquish the Munster title they won last year against Dingle in a penalty shoot-out final, while Dr Crokes move on to a provincial semi-final against Waterford champions Rathgormack. They will be warm favourites to win the club’s ninth Munster title from here.
Leading 0-6 to 0-5 at half-time, Dr Crokes upped the ante in the second half with 1-2 in the first nine minutes to open up a six-point lead. It was a lead which Castlehaven just couldn’t close, despite a late goal from Damien Cahalane’s penalty.
Brosnan and Micheal Burns gave Crokes the early lead, but Castlehaven hit back with points from Cathal Maguire, Andrew Whelton and Hurley as the game settled into a lively contest.
Charlie Keating had the best chance for a goal but his shot screwed wide in the 14th minute, but Keating and Brosnan closed the half with late scores to see Crokes lead by one at the interval.
The second half was just two minutes old when Cian McMahon won a penalty, which Brosnan dispatched past Darragh Cahalane, and points from Brosnan and McMahon pushed Crokes 1-8 to 0-5 ahead.
Dr Crokes were 1-9 to 0-7 ahead when Hurley was sent off for what appeared a high tackle, and the Kerry champions were still six ahead when Cahalane’s penalty halved the difference on 60 minutes. That gave Castlehaven a glimmer of hope but Kieran O’Leary, Brosnan (two) and Burns all found the target in five additional minutes and that was that.
DR CROKES: S Murphy; E Looney, F Fitzgerald, M Lynch (0-1); C Keating (0-1), G White, B Looney; M O’Shea, M Potts (0-1); M Burns (0-3, 2f), G O’Shea, T Doyle; T Brosnan (1-7, 1-0 pen, 3f), D Shaw, C McMahon (0-1).
Subs: Kieran O’Leary (0-2) for C Keating (44 mins), John Payne for T Doyle, Daithi Casey for C McMahon (both 50), David Naughton for M Potts (56).
CASTLEHAVEN: Darragh Cahalane; J O’Driscoll, T O’Mahony (0-1), J O’Regan; J Walsh, R Minihane, J O’Neill (0-1); M Collins, A Whelton (0-1); B Hurley (0-3, 2f), C Maguire (0-1), J Cahalane; S Browne, M Hurley, C Cahalane (0-1).
Subs: Damien Cahalane (1-0, pen) for J Walsh (41 mins), Conor O’Driscoll for S Browne (47), Michael Maguire for R Minihane, Ronan Walsh for J O’Driscoll (both 52), Ciarán O’Sullivan for A Whelton (56).
Referee: Seán Lonergan (Tipperary).
It took a brace of third-quarter goals from defensive anchors Ikem Ugwueru and Ciarán Russell to show their forwards the way as Éire Óg finally turned the tide in their favour against an obstinate Adare challenge in Cusack Park, Ennis on Sunday.
With the Bourke brothers Hugh (three) and Robbie leading the way, the Limerick champions deservedly led by 0-4 to 0-2 by the break but would be outdone by that brace of goals in the space of 10 minutes that helped the home side complete a seven-point second-half turnaround and seal another home tie against Tipperary’s Loughmore-Casteiney at the penultimate stage in a fortnight’s time.
ÉIRE ÓG: S Daniels; M Doherty, A Fitzgerald, D Ryan; C Russell (1-0), I Ugwueru (1-0), J Collins; D O’Neill (0-2), D McNamara; G Murray (0-1), D O’Brien, O Cahill; M McInerney (0-3, 1f, 1m), G Cooney (0-2), P Talty.
Subs: P O’Keeffe for Daniels (38 mins, inj), L Pyne for McNamara (44), N McMahon for O’Brien (54), J Joyce for Cooney (55-57, blood), Joyce for Talty (60), E Guilfoyle for Cooney (63).
ADARE: J Alfred; O Collins, D Connolly (0-1), E Costelloe; D Lane, S Doherty, R Connolly; J Sweeney, R Gleeson; P Maher, S Costelloe, D Lyons; S O’Connor, R Bourke (0-2), H Bourke (0-6, 4f, 1m).
Subs: J Fitzgerald for Lane (41 mins), M Lyons for O’Connor (49), M Keane for Gleeson (49), C Sparling for D Lyons (52), M Southgate for Sweeney (55)
Referee: C Lane (Cork).