Crokes won through to the final for only the second time - they were champions back in 1992.

Colm Cooper landed two early points before he hand-passed off for Maloney to crack home his 17th-minute goal.

Three straight points from Ronan Sweeney, Jason Phillips and Patrick Murray kept Moorefield in touch at the break, at 1-4 to 0-6 down.

But Crokes notched 1-4 in the game’s final 11 minutes with Brosnan rasping a right-footed shot to the net in the 59th-minute.

Moorefield, the Kildare and Leinster champions, started where they left off in last weekend’s drawn game as Darryl Flynn, capitalising on an error by Brian McMahon, fisted his side into a second-minute lead.

Kerry star Cooper, who struck 1-3 last time out but had a much deeper and more creative role this afternoon, fired over a free from the right wing to level.

The sides were back on terms at 0-2 apiece - with Moorefield corner forward Philly Wolfe, who landed a towering score, and Cooper trading points - before Michael Treacy nosed the underdogs into the lead.

It did not last long as a neat pass from Cooper found the unmarked Maloney, who was a substitute last Sunday, and he made no mistake, drawing a challenge from goalkeeper Thomas Corley before planting to an empty net.

Cooper turned provider again when he set up Kieran O’Leary for a point but that was Crokes’ last score until first half injury-time.

Confirming their reputation as a hard side to put away, Moorefield clawed their way back and managed to level at 0-6 to 1-3 on the half-hour mark.

Sweeney, impressive full-forward Phillips and Murray rapped over successive points as Sos Dowling’s men mounted a concerted challenge, which was only punctured slightly when Maloney landed an inspirational ‘45’, right on half-time and just after Brosnan had found the side-netting with a shot from the left.

The large and vocal crowd had to wait 11 minutes until Crokes and Cooper could break the scoring deadlock in the second half. ‘Gooch’ dinked over a free, which Murray replied to at the other end.

Using his strength to good effect, Ross Glavin added further to Moorefield’s tally after 47 minutes, squaring up the game at 0-8 to 1-5 - but that proved to be the Kildare outfit’s final point.

The Crokes’ attack moved up a gear in the closing stages with Maloney and O’Leary pointing within thirty seconds of each other, and then midfielder Ambrose O’Donovan galloped through to point off his right for a sudden three-point lead.

Kerry senior Brosnan put the result beyond doubt when he went on a trademark burst, taking a deft pass from Cooper, and blasted past the stranded Corley, whose defence was marked absence.

O’Leary’s late point was immaterial as Crokes powered through to what looks an intriguing meeting with Armagh and Ulster kingpins Crossmaglen at Croke Park on St. Patrick’s Day.