Dr Crokes 3-19
Austin Stacks 2-17

(After extra time)

Tony Brosnan struck a decisive 2-10 as Dr Crokes overcame Austin Stacks in tonight’s thrilling Kerry SFC first round clash in Tralee. 

Kieran Donaghy’s late goal helped to force the extra periods at Austin Stack Park, where the full-time score read 2-12 apiece before Brosnan’s second penalty of the match settled the issue to send Crokes into the quarter-finals.

Joseph O'Connor had Stacks into a 1-2 to 0-3 lead after eight minutes with a well-taken goal but the hosts would fall behind five minutes later when Brosnan rattled their net from the spot.

Micheál Burns and Brosnan bumped the lead up three for Crokes prior to their counterparts seeing out the half strong via points from Jack Morgan (2) and Shane O’Callaghan, leaving it at 1-5 each at the half.

Burns and Dylan cases traded points early in the restart and the sides would be deadlocked for the next quarter of an hour until two points from Brosnan (one a free) and a  goal from the excellent Brian Looney looked to have Crokes home and hosed.

Last gasp Kieran Donaghy Goal for @AustinStacksGAA pic.twitter.com/mwFxtSi0fB

— The GAA (@officialgaa) August 21, 2020

Points from Darragh O’Brien (2 frees) and Sean Quilter would bring the Tralee men right back into contention though.

Kieran O’Leary and Cillian O’Reagan raised white flags at the other end that were wiped out in an instant once Donaghy made the most of a high ball in and found the net for Stacks in injury-time.

Two more points from Quilter levelled it at 2-12 each and Crokes would suffer another blow when they lost Burns to a straight red card just before extra time.

It didn’t derail the visitors however, as they fought back from a strong Stacks start in extra time to level things up (2-15 to 2-15) by the break and saw out the win with another expertly taken penalty from Brosnan two minutes after the restart, as he went on to round off his 1-4 extra time tally in the closing minutes. 

Dr Crokes - S Murphy; C Fitzgerald, M Moloney, D Naughton; D O’Leary, F Fitzgerald, M Potts; J Buckley, M O’Shea; M Burns (0-3, 1f), G O’Shea (0-1), B Looney (1-1); C Doncel (0-1), T Brosnan (2-10, 2pens, 6f), B Courtney. Subs: C O’Regan (0-1) for Courtney (38mins), J Payne for D O’Leary (42), A O’Sullivan (0-1) for Looney (55), K O’Leary (0-1) for Doncel (60), B Looney for Burns (60), C Doncel for Looney (78), B Fitzgerald for O’Sullivan (80).

Austin Stacks - W Guthrie (0-1, 1f); B Shanahan, C Griffin (0-1), P O’Sullivan; J Morgan (0-1), R Shanahan, D Casey (0-1); J O’Connor (1-1), B O’Sullivan; M O’Gara, G Horan, D Fitzmaurice; F O’Brien (0-1, 1f), K Donaghy (1-0), S O’Callaghan (0-1). Subs: D Mannix for Fitzmaurice (34mins), S Quilter (0-5, 2f, 1m) for F O’Brien (42), D O’Brien (0-4, 3f) for O’Callaghan (50), D McMahon for B Shanahan (52), C Jordan for B O’Sullivan (54), J O’Shea (0-1) for R Shanahan (64, inj), B Walsh for Horan (70).

Ref: J Griffin.

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