Kilmacud score one point in first half but come strong at finish to land Dublin football crown

St Jude’s looked set for an historic success when they led by five points early in the second half.

Kilmacud Crokes 1-7

St Jude’s 1-6

SUBSTITUTE CALLUM PEARSON kicked a 64th-minute winner at Parnell Park this evening as Kilmacud Crokes came from behind to claim their ninth Dublin Senior Football Championship title.

Their opponents St Jude’s looked set for an historic success at this grade when they led by five points in the early stages of the second half. Gareth Roche’s third-time finalists remained in the ascendancy late on in the contest – despite former Sky Blues footballer Paul Mannion kicking four points for Crokes – before Aidan Jones and Pearson pointed to secure top honours for Crokes in the most dramatic of circumstances.

This victory completes a magnificent double for the Stillorgan men, following their extra-time triumph in the Dublin Senior Hurling Championship last Saturday week.

Billed as a mouthwatering encounter, this game struggled badly to caught fire early on. Jude’s netminder Paul Copeland produced an outstanding point-blank save from Dara Mullin in the third-minute, but the tie remarkably remained scoreless at the first half water break.

However, Jude’s finally broke the deadlock in the 23rd-minute as eight-time All-Ireland champion Kevin McManamon released Alan Connolly for a superb finish to the Crokes net. Their opponents eventually got up and running with a trademark Mannion point, but Daragh Kavanagh responded in kind at the opposite end to give Jude’s a 1-1 to 0-1 cushion at the end of a largely forgettable opening period.

This is a position that the Templeogue would have gladly taken before the game and they created further daylight on the resumption through David Mannix and Connolly points. Mannix added a second score from distance and while goalkeeper Conor Ferris and Mannion converted frees at the opposite end, Jude’s were four clear (1-4 to 0-3) heading into the final-quarter.

Yet the Crokes challenge was beginning to rise and following a brace of points by the increasingly-influential Mannion, Cian O’Connor fired Robbie Brennan’s charges into the lead with a 51st-minute goal.

This threw down the gauntlet to Jude’s, but they responded impressively with back-to-back points from Mannix and Cork native Brian Coakley.

The game seemed destined for 20 additional minutes when Aidan Jones levelled matters just past the hour mark, but there was enough time left for Pearson to force the issue as he split the uprights at an awkward left-hand angle.

Scorers for Kilmacud Crokes: Paul Mannion 0-4 (2f), Cian O’Connor 1-0, Conor Ferris (f), Aidan Jones, Callum Pearson 0-1 each.

Scorers for St Jude’s: Alan Connolly 1-1, David Mannix 0-3 (1f), Brian Coakley (f), Daragh Kavanagh 0-1.

Kilmacud Crokes

1. Conor Ferris

2. Micheal Mullin, 7. Dan O’Brien, 23. Ross McGowan

3. Andrew McGowan, 4. Cillian O’Shea, 6. Rory O’Carroll

8. Ben Shovlin, 9. Craig Dias

10. Tom Fox, 14. Dara Mullin, 12. Shane Horan

13. Paul Mannion, 11. Shane Cunningham, 15. Hugh Kenny

Subs

5. Cian O’Connor for Fox (43)

25. Conor Casey for Shovlin (46)

21. Callum Pearson for Kenny (50)

17. Aidan Jones for O’Carroll (53)

St Jude’s

1. Paul Copeland

2. Oisin Manning, 3. Jack McGuire, 4. Alex Hassett

6. Mark Sweeney, 7. Chris Guckian, 5. Tom Lahiff

8. Colm Murphy, 9. Pat Spillane

10. David Sheehy, 11. Kevin McManamon, 12. Daragh Kavanagh

13. Niall Coakley, 14. David Mannix, 15. Alan Connolly

Subs

20. Diarmuid McLoughlin for Kavanagh (37)

23. Ronan Joyce for Sheehy (50)

17. Brian Coakley for N Coakley (53)

22. Rob Martina for Manning (53)

25. Seamus Ryan for Murphy (60)

Referee: Dave Feeney (Parnell’s).

Daire Walsh