Crokes see red

As things stand, Buckley will miss the All-Ireland Club Final clash with Corofin on St Patrick’s Day in Croke Park. O’Sullivan spoke to Kerry’s Eye earlier this week: “We are awaiting the referee’s report and we will have to review that first. We do intend to lodge an appeal against Johnny’s sending off. All I can say on the matter is that Johnny is a player that we have huge respect for and it would be awful to see him miss out on playing in the final. I do not want to comment on the specifics of the incident but everyone who knows Johnny would agree that he is not a dirty player.”

14-man Crokes survive real scare

The eventual scoreline is hardly a true reflection of Mullinalaghta’s intense challenge against the hot favourites. The Killarney outfit endured many anxious moments, before they thwarted the brave efforts of the surprise packets of this year’s championship.

As it unfolded, this encounter proved a real test of character, skill and stamina for the 2017 All-Ireland champions, who make a return to Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day against reigning champions Corofin.

The favourites found themselves in the eye of a storm, after conceding a second goal in the 18th minute and shortly afterwards, one of their key players, Johnny Buckley, received a straight red card.