Dublin SFC 1 semi-final

Daire Walsh

Following a powerful team display against Ballyboden St Enda’s at Parnell Park last Saturday, Kilmacud Crokes booked their place in the Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship decider.

With no fewer than eight players getting on the scoresheet – including ex-Dublin attacker Paul Mannion and goalkeeper Conor Ferris – Robbie Brennan’s men comfortably triumphed at the end of a game that was regarded as a toss-up by most experts. Awaiting them in the forthcoming decider will be St Jude’s, who provided the opposition when Crokes last secured the county crown in 2018.

This result also keeps their hopes of securing a senior double alive, with their hurlers currently preparing for a top-tier hurling championship decider against Na Fianna in Parnell next Saturday.

Shane Cunningham (1-2) and Mannion (0-4) were potent scoring threats up front, while former inter-county stalwart Rory O’Carroll impressed in defence. The evergreen Conal Keaney did his best to inspire ‘Boden, but the four-time champions never truly hit top form.

That said, Anthony Rainbow’s charges initially made a bright start, with Dublin panellist Ryan Basquel converting a fourth-minute free to edge his side into an early lead. Even though Mannion responded for Crokes, Warren Egan fisted a fine score to move Boden back into the ascendancy.

Whereas the Firhouse Road outfit enjoyed a 2-17 to 1-11 quarter-final victory over Castleknock, Kilmacud were made to work for a 1-11 to 0-12 success against Na Fianna. It may not have been evident initially, but it soon became apparent being battle-hardened worked to their advantage.

After Mannion slotted over a free, wing-forwards Shane Horan and Tom Fox ensured Crokes established a 0-4 to 0-2 lead at the first water break. This buffer subsequently extended out to six points, courtesy of efforts by Fox, Dara Mullin, Dan O’Brien and Mannion.

While Keaney dissected the uprights after collecting a short free from Ryan Basquel, Crokes were to end the opening period in devastating style. Instead of taking a mark after collecting a long delivery, Cunningham went for the jugular and fired past Darragh Gogan for a superb stoppage-time goal.

This was supplemented by Mullin’s second point of the contest to give Crokes a commanding interval cushion of 1-9 to 0-3. The 2009 All-Ireland winners carried on where they left off upon the resumption as Hugh Kenny became the latest player to find the target.

Keaney continued to fly the flag for Boden with an excellent point from distance, but the decibel levels around Donnycarney were raised when Ferris stepped forward to strike a ’45’ between the posts. Although the pace of the game started to drop, traded scores between Mannion and Ross McGarry left Boden staring into a 10-point deficit with the final-quarter still to come.

Crokes were eager to continue laying down a marker and, with Cunningham adding a brace of points, they managed to do just that. Ferris also doubled his tally but to their credit, Boden did achieve some degree of solace in the closing moments.

Ferris’ latest long-range special was preceded by back-to-back frees from the Basquel brothers – Colm and Ryan. They searched persistently for a goal and got their wish when Simon Lambert fired to the net on 64 minutes.

Darragh Nelson – their 2016 All-Ireland winning captain – also added a point, but this couldn’t take the shine off an emphatic Kilmacud triumph.

MATCHFILE

KILMACUD CROKES . . . 1-15
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S . . . 1-8

Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: S Cunningham 1-2, P Mannion 0-4 (2f), C Ferris (2 ’45’), T Fox (1f), D Mullin 0-2 each, D O’Brien, S Horan, H Kenny 0-1 each. Ballyboden St Enda’s: S Lambert 1-0, R Basquel (2f), C Keaney 0-2 each, C Basquel (f), W Egan, R McGarry, D Nelson 0-1 each.

KILMACUD CROKES: C Ferris; M Mullin, D O’Brien, R O’Carroll; A McGowan, C O’Shea, R McGowan; B Shovlin, C Dias; T Fox, S Cunningham, S Horan; P Mannion, D Mullin, H Kenny. Subs: C Casey for Dias (45), C O’Connor for (46), C Pearson for Kenny (54), B Sheehy for Shovlin (58), A Jones for Mannion (59).

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: D Gogan; H Donaghy, S Clayton, C Flaherty; S Lambert, K Kennedy, J Holland; A Waters, D McCabe; A Flood, C Basquel, D O’Reilly; C Keaney, R Basquel, W Egan. Subs: R McGarry for Egan (38), C O’Reilly for D O’Reilly (40), D O’Mahoney for Flood (41), P Dunleavey for Waters (46), D Nelson for McCabe (51).

MENTORS – Kilmacud Crokes: R Brennan, F Kennedy, R Ryan. Ballyboden St Enda’s: A Rainbow, N Basquel, F Hyland, P Walsh.

REFEREE: David Sweeney (St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh).

WIDES – Kilmacud Crokes: 6 (4+2). Ballyboden: 4 (0+4).

CONDITIONS: Cold and windy throughout.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Shane Cunningham (Kilmacud Crokes).