Kilmacud Crokes 1-20

Ballyboden St Endas 2-17 (aet)

Stephen O’Meara reports from Parnell Park

ANTHONY DALY’S KILMACUD Crokes came into today’s Dublin Senior Hurling Championship final as favourites against Ballyboden St Endas, having taken out double All-Ireland champions, Cuala, in the semi-final.

Joe Fortune and Anthony Daly embrace after extra time.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

Boden, however, in their first year under Joe Fortune, who guided the Dublin minors to Leinster success in ‘07 and the 21’s likewise in ‘16, may well have felt they were lying in wait in the long grass.

In the end, nothing could separate the sides after Crokes snatched a draw from the jaws of defeat in normal time, before seeing late two point lead turned to parity in extra-time.

There was an ominous start as Crokes opened up with 1-1 in the opening four minutes, after Seán McGrath found the net after two neat hand-passes put him on the end of the move. 

Ballyboden St. Enda’s Conal Keaney with Ross O’Carroll of Kilmacud Crokes.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

Despite playing into the wind, Daly chose a traditional formation with six defenders, two midfielders and six forwards, as did Boden.

After Crokes’ blistering start, under intense Ballyboden pressure in the middle third, they would begin to have serious trouble trying to penetrate Boden’s ferocious tackling, into the moderate wind. They would score just four more points in the first half.

With Boden getting a foothold on the game, a Conor Dooley aerial strike in the seventeenth minute gave them a two point lead which they would maintain up to the break, 1-7 to 1-5.

Paul Ryan celebrates a late Ballyboden goal.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

With the wind in their backs, however, and Ryan O’Dwyer continuing to lead from centre back, Crokes would dominate the second half, equalising on the three-quarter mark, and taking a two-point lead into the latter stages, before a Paul Ryan free for Boden brought it back to one.

The Ballyboden section of the stand would erupt when Conor McCormac slipped a hand-pass for Aidan Mellet to net, giving his side what seemed like the winning goal, two points up in injury time.

No sooner had the ball been netted, however, Crokes had it over the bar at the far end before, winning a free which Marc Howard pointed on the re-start, levelling at 2-11 to 1-14.

Indeed, Howard would have one more chance to seal the deal only for his long free to drop short.

Ballyboden St. Enda’s David O’Connor and Shane Durkin with Shane Veale of Kilmacud Crokes.

Source: Oisin Keniry/INPHO

Despite Boden taking a two point lead with the wind in extra time, it was Crokes who would lead by two late on, only for Boden’s McMorrow and Paul Ryan to reel off late levellers.

A late gaping opportunity for Boden, where they had a three v one deep in Crokes’ territory, was squandered, leaving the sides tied at 1-20 to 2-17, and a replay to look forward to next Sunday at 3.30 pm.

Scorers for Crokes: Marc Howard 0-11 (10f), Seán McGrath 1-1, Caolán Conway 0-2, Cian MacGabhann 0-1, Fergal Whitley 0-1, Lorcan McMullan 0-1, Oisín O’Rorke 0-1, Ross O’Carroll 0-1, Shane Veale 0-1

Scorers for Ballyboden: Paul Ryan 0-11 (8f, 1 “65”, 1 side-line), Conor Dooley 1-2, Aidan Mellet 1-0, David Curtin 0-1, Conal Keaney 0-1, Niall Ryan 0-1, Niall McMorrow

Kilmacud Crokes

1 Matt Collins

7 Cian MacGabhann
3 Bill O’Carroll
4 Jamie Clinton

5 Ross O’Carroll
6 Ryan O’Dwyer
2 Niall Corcoran

8 Lorcan McMullan
11 Fergal Whitley

10 Seán McGrath
9 Damien Kelly
12 Coalán Conway

13 Oisín O’Rorke
14 Marc Howard
15 Ronan Hayes

Subs

25 Alex Consedine for Corcoran (45)
30 Shane Veale for McGrath (51)
23 Stevie O’Dwyer for O’Rorke (74)
20 Barry O’Rorke for Howard (78)

Ballyboden St Enda’s

1 Gary Maguire

18 David O’Connor
17 Dean Curran
3 Luke Corcoran

6 Simon Lambert
4 Shane Durkin
2 James Madden

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15 Niall McMorrow
20 David Curtin

9 Niall Ryan
14 Conor Dooley
13 Paul Ryan

17 Aidan Mellet
10 Conal Keaney
11 Paul Doherty

Subs

12 Conor McCormac for Doherty (17)
5 Stephen O’Connor for Curtin (52)
23 James Roche for Ryan (53)
11 Paul Doherty for Dooly (HT Extra time)
8 Finn McGarry for McCormmac (HT Extra time)
24 Cilian Byrne for Roche (72)

Referee Chris Mooney

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