MARK O’LEARY BAGGED a crucial goal in first-half stoppage-time at Parnell Park as Kilmacud Crokes kept their quest for a fourth consecutive Dublin Senior Football Championship title alive with a semi-final triumph over Na Fianna.
Also Leinster senior club champions for the past three seasons – with an All-Ireland senior title also thrown in for good measure – Robbie Brennan’s men will now push forward to a county decider against Cuala in a fortnight’s time.
Kilmacud’s Connacht connection greatly aided their cause in the early stages of the contest as two points apiece from Yeats County attacker Paddy O’Connor and Galway ace Shane Walsh – as well as a successful free by Dublin veteran Paul Mannion – helped them to storm five clear by the first-quarter mark.
Na Fianna eventually worked their way into the action with unanswered scores from David Lacey, goalkeeper David O’Hanlon and Conor McHugh, but Tom Gray’s side suffered a double blow when a black card for former county stalwart Jonny Cooper was followed by O’Leary’s aforementioned goal to leave Crokes 1-5 to 0-3 ahead at the interval.
Even though Na Fianna responded with a McHugh point on the resumption, the holders moved six in front courtesy of contributions from Hugh Kenny and Paddy O’Connor.
The latter also cancelled out a Lacey free with his fourth of the day, but their determined Glasnevin counterparts brought the gap down to three when a David Quinn single preceded a brace of scores by Lacey.
Lacey (two) and McHugh also found the range in the final-quarter to match the efforts of substitute Cian O’Connor, Kenny and Dara Mullin for Crokes, but Na Fianna suffered an additional blow when corner-back Fiachra Potts was red carded on 56 minutes.
A point from Sean Caffrey did offer the challengers some hope in the closing moments, before O’Leary fired over off a breakaway move to seal a showpiece spot for Crokes.
Kilmacud Crokes scorers: Mark O’Leary 1-1, Paddy O’Connor 0-4, Shane Walsh 0-2 (1 ‘45’, 1 mark), Hugh Kenny 0-2, Paul Mannion 0-1 (f), Dara Mullin 0-1 (f), Cian O’Connor 0-1.
Na Fianna scorers: David Lacey 0-6 (4f), Conor McHugh 0-3 (0-1f), David O’Hanlon 0-1 (f), David Quinn 0-1, Sean Caffrey 0-1.
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Kilmacud Crokes
1. Devon Burns
2. Dan O’Brien, 21. Theo Clancy, 4. Micheal Mullin
6. Andrew McGowan, 9. Rory O’Carroll, 3. James Murphy
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O'Leary's goal key as Kilmacud beat Na Fianna to maintain Dublin four-in-a-row title bid
Kilmacud Crokes 1-12
Na Fianna 0-12
MARK O’LEARY BAGGED a crucial goal in first-half stoppage-time at Parnell Park as Kilmacud Crokes kept their quest for a fourth consecutive Dublin Senior Football Championship title alive with a semi-final triumph over Na Fianna.
Also Leinster senior club champions for the past three seasons – with an All-Ireland senior title also thrown in for good measure – Robbie Brennan’s men will now push forward to a county decider against Cuala in a fortnight’s time.
Kilmacud’s Connacht connection greatly aided their cause in the early stages of the contest as two points apiece from Yeats County attacker Paddy O’Connor and Galway ace Shane Walsh – as well as a successful free by Dublin veteran Paul Mannion – helped them to storm five clear by the first-quarter mark.
Na Fianna eventually worked their way into the action with unanswered scores from David Lacey, goalkeeper David O’Hanlon and Conor McHugh, but Tom Gray’s side suffered a double blow when a black card for former county stalwart Jonny Cooper was followed by O’Leary’s aforementioned goal to leave Crokes 1-5 to 0-3 ahead at the interval.
Even though Na Fianna responded with a McHugh point on the resumption, the holders moved six in front courtesy of contributions from Hugh Kenny and Paddy O’Connor.
The latter also cancelled out a Lacey free with his fourth of the day, but their determined Glasnevin counterparts brought the gap down to three when a David Quinn single preceded a brace of scores by Lacey.
Lacey (two) and McHugh also found the range in the final-quarter to match the efforts of substitute Cian O’Connor, Kenny and Dara Mullin for Crokes, but Na Fianna suffered an additional blow when corner-back Fiachra Potts was red carded on 56 minutes.
A point from Sean Caffrey did offer the challengers some hope in the closing moments, before O’Leary fired over off a breakaway move to seal a showpiece spot for Crokes.
Kilmacud Crokes scorers: Mark O’Leary 1-1, Paddy O’Connor 0-4, Shane Walsh 0-2 (1 ‘45’, 1 mark), Hugh Kenny 0-2, Paul Mannion 0-1 (f), Dara Mullin 0-1 (f), Cian O’Connor 0-1.
Na Fianna scorers: David Lacey 0-6 (4f), Conor McHugh 0-3 (0-1f), David O’Hanlon 0-1 (f), David Quinn 0-1, Sean Caffrey 0-1.
Kilmacud Crokes
1. Devon Burns
2. Dan O’Brien, 21. Theo Clancy, 4. Micheal Mullin
6. Andrew McGowan, 9. Rory O’Carroll, 3. James Murphy
8. Ben Shovlin, 7. Mark O’Leary
18. Craig Dias, 11. Paul Mannion, 14. Dara Mullin
13. Hugh Kenny, 19. Paddy O’Connor, 15. Shane Walsh
Subs
5. Cian O’Connor for O’Carroll (37)
12. Tom Fox for Dias (47)
20. Joe Quigley for Walsh (51)
24. Luke Ward for Kenny (57)
Na Fianna
1. David O’Hanlon
3. Eoin O’Dea, 4. Adam Rafter, 2. Fiachra Potts
5. Eoin Murchan, 6. Jonny Cooper, 7. Tom Brennan
8. James Doran, 9. Donal Ryan
10. David Quinn, 13. Aaron Byrne, 12. David Lacey
14. Conor McHugh, 11. Brian O’Leary, 15. Ciaran Reddin
Subs
25. Killian Deeley for Ryan (38)
20. Sean Caffrey for Byrne (38)
17. Darragh Kennedy for Brennan (42)
18. Seamus Smith for Quinn (51)
Referee: Darren Delaney (Wanderers).
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Crokes In Control dubin GAA Gaelic Football