KILMACUD CROKES 0-18

NA FIANNA 0-15

By Daire Walsh

Kilmacud Crokes moved up to sixth in the Adult Hurling League Division One table with a three-point triumph over Na Fianna at St Mobhi Road on Wednesday evening.

Following a narrow reversal at the hands of Lucan Sarsfields on July 7, Crokes were hell-bent on a return to winning ways. They faced a Na Fianna side that began the night in second spot – just behind top-flight pace-setters Ballyboden St Enda’s on score difference.

The hosts remained in contention throughout, thanks in no small part to a 0-8 haul by Dublin senior star Donal Burke. However, with Mark Howard, Sean McGrath and Ronan Hayes all in fine scoring form, the Stillorgan men ultimately moved into the top half of the table – with a game in hand on all those above them.

While Crokes have a 100% success rate from their three home league games, they have found life difficult on the road. Away defeats to St Jude’s, St Brigid’s, St Vincent’s and Lucan placed them down the pecking order – and in need of a victory on their latest trip to the northside venue.

Na Fianna’s sole previous loss was on their visit to Crumlin in mid-June, but they went on to record back-to-back successes against Craobh Chiarain and St Jude’s. Indeed, after full-forward Howard opened the scoring for Crokes, his opposite number – Thomas Watters – found the target under intense pressure from the opposition rearguard.

In a scrappy opening to the action, midfielder Matthew Oliver edged Na Fianna in front after expertly gathering a Jonathan Treacy puck-out. Though this proved to be the only time they led over the course of the hour, Crokes had to wait until the 10th-minute to restore parity.

Howard added his second free of the tie off the left-hand side, before they eventually moved back into the ascendancy through a deflected McGrath effort.

Ronan Hayes and McGrath further enhanced their grip on the play, until Na Fianna half-back Padraig Buggy ended an 11-minute scoring drought for his side. Having recently announced his retirement from inter-county hurling – following spells with his native Tipperary and adopted county Dublin – Ryan O’Dwyer lined out at centre-back for the visitors.

He often dropped back to play a free role at the heart of the Crokes defence, with his influential on the play growing as the half developed. He embarked on a fine solo run in the 18th-minute and proceeded to split the posts in typically-assertive fashion.

The Na Fianna attack were starting to make greater headway, though, as quick-fire scores by Watters and AJ Murphy forced them back into the reckoning. The increasingly-impressive McGrath kept the scoreboard ticking over for Crokes, but they were successfully reined in by Burke (free) and Seamus O’Sullivan at the opposite end.

It was Crokes who discovered an extra gear in the closing stages of the opening period, however. Howard posted his third free on 25 minutes and then turned provider for McGrath on the half-hour mark.

This helped the southsiders to open up a 0-9 to 0-7 interval buffer – though this was immediately reduced on the restart by a monster free from Na Fianna netminder Jonathan Treacy. The gap between the teams remained at a minimum when Damien Kelly and Ross O’Carroll points for Crokes were cancelled by a 0-2 salvo from Burke – who was fast becoming a prominent figure for the Glasnevin men.

Having relied primarily on Howard and McGrath before the break, a number of Crokes players added their names to the scoresheet in the second half. Centre-forward Caolan Conway was the latest to find his range and Ronan Hayes was on hand to knock over his second of the game in fine style.

Another Burke free on the stroke of 40 minutes kept Na Fianna’s challenge alive, but the momentum was gradually swinging in Crokes’ direction. Kelly and Ronan Hayes added to their respective tallies either side of the third-quarter mark – giving Anthony Daly’s charges a four-point advantage (0-15 to 0-11)for the very first time.

Yet, already in a confident mood as a result of his 13 point contribution in last Sunday’s win over St Jude’s, Burke was carrying the fight to Crokes. Now positioned on the ’40’, the exciting Sky Blues prospect supplemented another free with his first point from play inside the closing 10 minutes.

Conway and Howard (free) kept Crokes in the driving seat with the final whistle fast approaching, only for Burke to once again bolster the home team’s tally.

After traded frees between Howard and Burke left the margin at three points, Na Fianna suffered a hammer blow when Sean Ryan was sent-off two minutes from time. Although some wayward shooting by Crokes left the door ajar for their opponents, a Cian Mac Gabhann save off Burke’s goal-bound free in stoppage-time finally sealed their hard-earned victory.

Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: Mark Howard 0-5 (5f), Sean McGrath 0-4, Ronan Hayes 0-3, Damien Kelly, Caolan Conway 0-2 each, Ryan O’Dwyer, Ross O’Carroll 0-1 each. Na Fianna: Donal Burke 0-8 (5f, 1 ’65’), Thomas Watters 0-2, Jonathan Treacy (f), Padraig Buggy, Matthew Oliver, Seamus O’Sullivan, AJ Murphy 0-1 each.

KILMACUD CROKES: Cian Mac Gabhann; Darragh Butler, Bill O’Carroll, Jim Gibbons; Rob Murphy, Ryan O’Dwyer, Rob O’Loughlin; Conor Hayes, Damien Kelly; Sean McGrath, Caolan Conway, Ross O’Carroll; Oisin O’Rourke, Mark Howard, Ronan Hayes. Subs: Michael Roche for R O’Carroll (45), Barry O’Rourke for Murphy (60).

NA FIANNA: Jonathan Treacy; Sean Burke, Ciaran Fanning, Cathal Doran; Padraig Buggy, Peter Feeney, Paul O’Dea; Matthew Oliver, Ciaran Heeney; Sean Murphy, Sean Ryan, Seamus O’Sullivan; AJ Murphy, Thomas Watters, Donal Burke. Subs: Odhran Maoileidigh for S Murphy (19), Conor Kelly for O’Dea (40), S Murphy for AJ Murphy (51).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Naomh Fionnbarra).