by Adam Moynihan

After a disappointing run in this year’s Club Championship, Dr Crokes’ senior status appeared to be in real jeopardy. Finishing last in their group teed up a tantalising relegation playoff against the bottom team from the other group, the Killarney Legion.

Excitement amongst GAA fans was high. Demotion would be a unthinkable for either club, particularly so for the Crokes who are the most successful senior outfit in the county. It promised to be one of the most important club matches ever played in Killarney.

There was one major caveat, however: if either Legion or Crokes reached the final of the County Championship, they would be exempt from relegation.

Legion failed to achieve that particular feat but Crokes now find themselves on the cusp. Victory over Kerins O’Rahillys in Sunday’s Kerry SFC semi-final will not only secure their spot in the county final, it will also guarantee their senior status for 2022 and relegate their fiercest rivals for good measure. Forget about killing two birds with one stone, Crokes are hoping to take out three of them.

Of course, considering everything at stake, missing with that one stone would be a major disappointment. It would also hand Legion a lifeline and while neither side wants to be participating in this do-or-die match, the Derreen club need it. Dropping down to intermediate without getting the opportunity to play for their senior status would be a sad way to go.

If Crokes were to lose this week, the playoff is likely to be staged either the following weekend or the weekend after that, presumably at the Fitzgerald Stadium.

CRACKER

But for now the focus is on Sunday’s semi-final, and it promises to be a cracker.

There has been some talk locally of this Crokes team being in transition but a quick glance at their teamsheet suggests otherwise. Eleven players who started in the club’s last county final victory in 2018 also started a fortnight ago against Templenoe: Shane Murphy, John Payne, Fionn Fitzgerald, Gavin White, Johnny Buckley, Gavin O’Shea, Micheál Burns, Brian Looney, Kieran O’Leary, David Shaw and Tony Brosnan. Two more, Daithí Casey and Mike Moloney, came off the bench. Young players have been blooded this season, most notably the impressive Mark Cooper and Evan Looney, but it hardly represents a radical overhaul.

They are coming in slightly under the radar because of their poor championship record (by their own high standards) in 2019 and 2020, and that naturally suits them just fine.

As for Rahillys, their path to the last four has been tougher than most. Many expected them to struggle against St Kieran’s in Round 1, and many more tipped Dingle to be too strong for them in the quarters, but the club from Strand Road are still standing.

With David Moran pulling the strings from midfield and an in-form forward division that includes Jack Savage, Barry John Keane, Gavin O’Brien, the rejuvenated Tommy Walsh and the precocious Conor Hayes, the Tralee side are looking dangerous.

They will be slight underdogs against Crokes this weekend but it wouldn’t be a complete shock if their recent momentum carries them over the line. The Legion supporters who make the journey to Tralee on Sunday will be with them every step of the way.

Dr Crokes v Kerins O'Rahillys (Sunday at 2.30pm, Austin Stack Park).

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