John Evans was an interested spectator at the Kerry IFC final in Austin Stack Park last Sunday week, the Cill na Martra coach was surveying the opposition ahead of yesterday’s AIB Munster Club IFC semi-final in Cill na Martra.

So what did the Killorglin man learn?

“Hugely,” he replied. “I saw Milltown perform as a cohesive team that work really hard. But, we showed, if you match them stride for stride, you can get them.

“It was what I expected, a real, real, tough battle. In the end of November, you don’t get anything else. I had the lads well tuned in as to the frame of mind and what to expect.

“We were in a comfortable position. We should be up a good few more points at half-time, 0-6 to 0-4. And then Milltown came out firing with all pistons. The battle was on. We rode that.

“Cill na Martra are well used to their forwards (headlines), but today was about backs and good solid discipline.

“I’ll have to say one thing about Milltown, it is hard to go out a week after a county final and play Munster club, it is nigh impossible.”

Referee Derek O’Mahoney was kept busy. In the end, it was 13-man Cill na Martra overcame 13-man Milltown-Castlemaine with a number of second yellows and red cards issued in a gripping finale.

For the winners, Gearóid Ó Goillidhe received a straight red a minute from time, while Tadhg Ó Corcora got a second yellow in stoppage.

Kieran O’Carroll got a straight red for Milltown-Castlemaine also in stoppage, and at this juncture they had also lost Anthony Kelliher to a black card.

When Milltown-Castlemaine went 0-8 to 0-6 up five minutes into the second-half, the underdogs came roaring back. Seven points to two they kicked, in a dominant fourth quarter. This was a tiring Milltown, seven days after the Kerry showdown.

Micheál Ó Deasúna demonstrated how vital an impact sub is, and Maidhcí Ó Duinnín nailed three massive points on the stretch.

Strength-in-depth was key, all shoulders to the wheel was the motivation.

The scoring contribution of brothers Seán and Cianie Ó Fóirréidh, Tadhg Ó Corcora and Danny Ó Conaill - all defenders - was so important too.

It is the first time since 2013, a Kerry team will not contest the final, while the Kingdom have won 15 of the 19 deciders since the competition’s inception in 2003.

As it stands, captain Gearóid Ó Goillidhe will miss the Munster final. His mood was good though.

“You can see what it means, all the emotion. We are more of a parish than a club. It was the crowd got us over the line. You have to respect Kerry champions, but we know what our team is made of. We’ve always known. We would always back ourselves in our own pitch.

“Antóin Ó Conaill (panellist) got married on Friday. The celebrations were delayed, I think it is all going to kick off soon.” The party will have to be wrapped up early as there is work still to do in a provincial final against Mungret St Pauls of Limerick in two weeks.

Scorers for Cill na Martra: D Ó hUrdail (0-2 frees) and M Ó Duinnín (0-3 each), M Ó Deasúna (0-1 45) and S Ó Fóirréidh (0-2 each), C Ó Fóirréidh, D Ó Conaill and T Ó Corcora (0-1 each).

Scorers for Milltown-Castlemaine: É O’Connor (frees) and C Moriarty (0-3 each), G Hora, B Casey, C Burke and C Spillane (0-1 each).

CILL NA MARTRA: P Ó Críodáin; C Mac Lochlainn, T Ó Corcora, F Ó Faoláin; D Ó Conaill, S Ó Fóirréidh, C Ó Fóirréidh; A Ó Cuana, G Ó Goillidhe (Capt); F Ó h-Éalaithe, D Ó hUrdail, M Ó Duinnín; C Ó Meachair, D Ó Duinnín, C Ó Duinnín.

Subs: M Ó Deasúna for C Ó Meachair (half-time), S Ó Duinnín for A Ó Cuana (54), G Ó Mocháin for M Ó Deasúna (62).

MILLTOWN-CASTLEMAINE: C Leane; G McKenna, P Wrenn, D Kelliher; D Roche, K O’Carroll, A Kelliher; D Dennehy, G Horan; B Casey, É O’Connor, D O’Neill; C Moriarty (Capt), C Burke, J O’Sullivan.

Subs: K McKenna for D O’Neill (38), B Delaney for K McKenna (50 inj), C Spillane for J O’Sullivan (55).

Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary).