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Article December Week 2 2004
The Sensational Late Late Comeback By Dr. Crokes

The sensational late late comeback by Dr. Crokes in the recent Kerry senior county league final played in Fitzgerald Stadium Killarney has been the big talking point in all the GAA meeting houses around the lakeside town, and no doubt also in Tralee, following the shock defeat of famed Austin Stack’s and such was the gravity of the situation in that particular match with five minutes remaining that even the staunchest of the Crokes die hard’s admitted afterwards that they were fully resigned to defeat.
The game was gone into the second half of extra time and the Tralee side were leading 0-12 to 1-7 and dominating in most areas with basketball star Kieran Donaghy playing a blinder in the middle of the field, Crokes appeared to be tiring following their long season, and then suddenly things went from bad to worst for them. Finbarr Smith pointed for Stacks, at the other end Crokes Roland Neher saw his rocket of a shot come back off the post, Stacks swept up field in a flowing movement, Mike Hogan and Jonathan Magnier set up Padraig McGann and he beat the excellent Kieran Cremin from close in, now there was six points in it with just five minutes to go, the Crokes looked out on their feet Stacks were, well, just waiting for the final whistle, it appeared as if the Croke goose was well and truly cooked. Then we witnessed one of the great come backs of Kerry football.


Crokes brought on young Kieran o Leary for his senior debut, he collected in a crowded goal mouth and goaled low to the corner, the deficit had now been halved, Stacks began to look nervous, two minutes later the long serving Roland Neher set up Mike Crowley, son of the former great Din Joe, and he blasted a left footed bullet to the roof of the David Hennebery’s net, (his second goal), the sides were level; not alone were Stacks shell shocked but one could sense that every one present could not believe what was happening before their very eyes. And things were about to go from bad to worst for the Tralee men, time up on my watch, ( the game was going out live on Radio Kerry), the wonderfully gifted Colm Cooper delivered a exquisite cross field pass into the hands of his captain Aiden o Shea and ‘Bombers’ son flashed the ball over the bar while in full flight 3-8 to 1-13. The full time whistle sounded and Crokes had won a county senior title in a manner which will be spoken of for many a long day, truly a remarkable come back.


However not the greatest come back I have witnessed, forty four long years ago on a glorious August Wednesday evening in 1960 I watched enthralled from the then grassy terrace of Fitzgerald Stadium as Tralees John Mitchell staged a spectacular resurgence in a Kerry senior football quarter-final to draw with South Kerry in a match that will remain forever etched in the memory. Picture the scene, fifteen minutes to go, South Kerry leading by a massive ten points, 2-4 to 0-0 and with Mick o Dwyer, Mick and John o Connell John ‘Dasher’ o Connor, Ned Fitzgerald, Michael Courtney, Jerome o Shea and Denis McCarthy all starring were simply coasting to victory, Mitchels then moved Niall Sheahy from full back to full forward and the greatest of all come backs was about to unfold before the huge attendance.


Will-o-the -wisp, John ‘Thorny’ o Shea raced in for a goal set up by Niall’s punched pass, Paudie Sheehy pointed twice from away out, Alan Conway dropped a fifty into the South Kerry square, Niall Sheehy’s fisted goal set the green flag waving, Mick o Dwyer added another point for the Southerners, a goal between the sides, South Kerry were reeling on the ropes, the spectators were spellbound as the drama unfolded, Seamus Roche cut up the right wing, beat three defenders, crossed beautifully, John o Connell and Niall Sheahy rose for the ball. Niall got there first and goalie Pat o Sullivan was once again picking the ball from the back of the net, unbelievably the sides were level and the Mitclells supporters were going mad and their heroes nearly stole it on the hour, Freddie Lynch was fouled and justice was done when Paudie Sheehy sent the resultant free just wide. Great names from the past with the Tralee men, the three Sheehy brothers, John Dalton, Willie Donovan, Fredie Lynch, Garry o Mahoney, Brendan Galvin, Harry Burke and ‘Buzzer’, Kerins.


John Mitchell’s won the re play, went on to retain the championship won in 1959, added three more titles in ‘61-62-63 to complete a magical five in a row, including re-plays they played 24 games to win those five championships, but it remains an undisputed fact that no contest before or since matched that unforgettable, memorable August evening in 1960.


We flash forward in the minds eye to a beautiful October Sunday afternoon in 1965, the venue is Austin Stack Park Tralee, there are just four minutes remaining in the Kerry senior football county final, East Kerry are leading Mid Kerry by seven points, spectators are streaming from the grounds, it appears to be just a case of playing
out the remaining few minutes. I am in goal ,defending the Mitchels end of the ground, friends are passing out behind my back, shouting ‘well done, great win, come on East Kerry’, I have a senior county championship medal in my pocket, a dream is coming true, then the nightmare begins.


Goals from Pat Cahill, Din Joe Crowley, Gerald Cullinane and Mick Gleeson had given us a seemingly unassailable 4-5 to 0-10 lead, however this was a great Mid Kerry side, Teddy Bowler, the Lucy brothers, Jerry, Paul and Vincent, Pat Ahern, Jim Coughlan, J. J. Ladden, Jimmy Healy, Pat o Shea, and of course Kerry star Pat Griffin, whose son in recent years played with Cork. A high ball begins to drop from the clouds, it seems to hang in the air forever, I field it under the bar then bang, Kevin Griffin timed his run from far out to perfection, small and as strong as a bull he meets me full on and before I know what’s happening I am driven out through the back of the net ball and all, free out how are you, up goes the green flag, not to worry, this will only put a respectable look on the scoreboard. Donie o Sullivan drives the kick out half the length of the field well away from danger, Donie had the longest kick in Ireland, he was even honoured for it lately, however it was Jimmy Lucy who gained possession, we were back under pressure, two minutes to go, still safe enough, a low ball came across the square a couple of inches from the ground, Tim Kelleher, he later became a vet in Killarney and played with The Legion met it beautifully on the volley, a Bobby Charlton effort, and in the blink of an eye his piledriver was nestling in the back of the net and there was I rooted to the spot watching in horror.


Now there is just a point in it and the Mid Kerry supporters are going absolutely wild, we appeared to be in a state of shock and it seems as if Mid Kerry have thirty men on the field, they are coming forward in waves of attacks, unstoppable now, all over the place, Pat Griffin gets possession, dancing and weaving his way through, selling dummies to the whole of East Kerry as only he could, he is right into the fourteen yard line, and with a deft flick of the wrist punches the equalizer. Still no sign of the final whistle, all eyes are on referee Andy Scannell, Christ why won’t he blow full time, we are going to lose, another kick out, Vincent Lucy fields high over friend and foe, cuts in from the stand side and angles for the winning point, the suspense is almost unbearable, he is fifty, now forty yards out, he shoots, it’s as if everything is happening in slow motion, trainer Donie Sheehan for once is speechless on the line, chewing fists of grass, the ball appears to be going over the bar, then it begins to drift to the left and fades wide. And thus this memorable game finished, a draw in as dramatic a finish as can ever have been witnessed on a Kerry playing field.


On November 6th 1965 East Kerry won the re-play 0-11 to 0-4, and with stars like Tom Long Johnny Culloty, Derry Crowley, Tim Sheehan, Gerry McCarthy,Donal ‘Sox’ Lynch Pat Moynihan and Lui Nolan they were unbeatable on the day.


Lets peer further back in history for another memorable comeback, probably the greatest ever in an All Ireland final, October 6th 1946, Croke Park the venue, Roscommon are leading Kerry 1-7, to 0-4, five minutes remaining, many Kerry supporters are gone for home, heading for the train at Kingsbridge. Then Kerry scored two goals, as dramatic as have ever been seen in a final, scores that are still spoken of with almost awed respectability by Kerrymen to this present day. The first was scored by the great Paddy Burke, winning possession from a Bill Casey centre he side stepped full back Joe Casserly and shot a bullet to the net, then on the stroke of full time Teddy o Connor passed to Tom ‘Gega’ o Connor and the Dingle mans high floating shot deceived Gerry Dolan in the Roscommon goal and the crowd of 75,000 were stunned with the dramatic turn of events. Kerry won the re-play and the names of ‘Gega’ and Paddy Burke will forever be associated with that most famous of all late, late comebacks.


Finally the greatest of all GAA comebacks must surly have been that of the National Hurling League final played in Croke Park on May 6th 1956, Tipperary led Wexford at half time 2-10 to 0-1, a massive 15 points lead, Wexford inspired by the legendary Rackard brothers, Bobby, Billy and Nicky, together with Nick o Donnell, Tim Flood, Ned Wheeler and Jim Morrissey, came out in the second half to explode into action in devastating style, Tom Dixon second goal with four minutes to go put Wexford a point ahead, Tipp. were devastated and the magnificent Nicky Rackord at full forward brought this epic to a close as he thundered his second goal past Tony Reddin. Wexford won 5-9 to 2-14.


And so it would be fair to say that this was the greatest comeback in the history of inter county competition, either hurling or football. The Kerry hurlers drew with Antrim in the curtin raiser that same day, and togged out in the Tipp. dressing room. That great Kilgarvan Gael Denis P. o Sullivan tells the story of meeting Pat Stakelum following the their defeat and when he asked what happened, the Tipp. man replied, ‘ what happened Devon Lough in the Grand National when he fell coming up to the post, we will never know’. Great comebacks, stories that are passed on from generation to generation.


Fogra: As The Story Of The o Donoghue Cup was published last Thursday night next week I will profile the first man ever to be presented with this now historic trophy fifty years ago, Donie Murphy now resident in Mayo, All Ireland senior medal winner in 1953, how he missed the ‘55 win over Dublin through sickness, winning a minor All Ireland with Kerry in 1946, and Kerry senior county championships with both Killarney Legion and Dick Fitzgerald’s, and how he began his glorious career on the banks of the river Flesk near his home in Muckross, another great Kerry story.