Kilmacud Crokes 1-7 St Jude’s 1-6
Kilmacud Crokes duly vindicated their favourites’ status and won the Dublin double for the first time since Ballyboden in 2009. They struck for a late point deep into injury-time from replacement Callum Pearson to take the county football title.
That’s it in a nutshell and this type of achievement is strictly destination and no-one’s too bothered by how scenic the journey proves but, like in the hurling final, the winners made their supporters suffer untold agonies before delivering late in the day.
St Jude’s had set up with a heavily defensive structure and managed to put the clamps on the favourites for a long time. It took over 22 minutes for either side to score by which stage some minds had begun to wander back to the 1986 final when Thomas Davis managed a point in their entire county final against Scoil Uí Chonaill.
For a side which had looked the epitome of creative attacking in their semi-final win over Ballyboden, Kilmacud were hustled out of such patterns by their opponents, seeking a first county title. Paul Mannion, their chief rainmaker, was surrounded every time he got on the ball and had made a slightly ominous start by not quite controlling his first possession.
In the second minute, Dara Mullin got through on goal but Paul Copeland made a terrific save. Had they been of such a mind, Crokes could have been forgiven for thinking it was going to be one of those days.
Manager Robbie Brennan was asked did the thought cross his mind. “It did, it did, certainly and I think when they got that extra score down here at the start of the second-half, I was beginning to panic a little bit.”
Before that the first half had swung against them in the 23rd minute when Alan Connolly was given his sight of goal courtesy of Kevin McManamon and he obliged by shooting to the net. Mannion replied with a point from about 30 metres but this didn’t signal that they were back in the groove.
Far from it. They continued to struggle against the blanket defence and Darragh Kavanagh kicked a point for Jude’s whereas the hard working David Sheehy disposed Mannion in the last meaningful action before half time.
The point scored on resumption came after Jude’s had threatened from the throw-in and were only kept out by last-ditch interventions before David Mannix showed how it was done with a great kick to make the score 1-2 to 0-1. A four-point deficit with just under half an hour left isn’t cause for despair but when you’ve managed one point in 36 minutes of play, it’s certainly a concern.
At one point Craig Dias swung a crossfield ball over to Shane Horan only for it to bounce out of play over the sideline with both players looking miffed in the aftermath.
All the while, Jude’s kept doing what they had successfully been doing and Colm Murphy was having a whale of game at centrefield so there was no obvious way back for Crokes. Mannion continued to probe and look for openings but it just wasn’t happening.
Brennan said afterwards that his star player had been suffering from back spasms in the second half and their luck looked farther out when referee Dave Feeney initially gave them a penalty after Mullin had been toppled going through in the 41st minute but on mature reflection after talking to his umpires, revised it to a free, which Mannion pointed instead of being able to goal.
He added two more, one free and one shot over under great pressure. Pat Spillane, son of the Kerry legend and provocateur, had a chance to finish it but Conor Ferris saved.
The key goal was scored by replacement Cian O’Connor, who took off on a great run and while being fouled and on advantage, slotted the ball into the net, to round off 1-3 without reply and push Crokes ahead.
Jude’s showed great spirit to retake the lead but when the match was in the balance after another replacement, Adrian Jones, had equalised - Crokes got 1-2 off the bench, half their total - the scene was set for Pearson to win the day with a sharply taken point in heavy traffic.
Brennan spoke about what a benefit Mannion’s undivided attention has been all season and then was asked did he expect to see the multiple All-Ireland winner return to the county.
“My own opinion, no, I think that’s it, I think that’s the last you’ll see of Paul (for Dublin.)”
Kilmacud Crokes: Conor Ferris (0-1, free); Dan O'Brien, Michael Mullin, Ross McGowan; Andrew McGowan, Cillian O'Shea, Rory O'Carroll; Ben Shovlin, Craig Dias; Shane Horan, Dara Mullin, Tom Fox; Hugh Kenny, Paul Mannion (0-4), Shane Cunningham.
Subs: C O'Connor (1-0) for Fox (43 mins), C Casey for Shovlin (46 mins), C Pearson (0-1) for Kenny (50 mins), A Jones (0-1) for O'Carroll (53 mins).
St Jude's: Paul Copeland; Alex Hassett, Jack Maguire, Oisín Manning; Tom Lahiff, Mark Sweeney, Chris Guckian; Colm Murphy, Pat Spillane; David Sheehy, Kevin McManamon, Darragh Kavanagh (0-1); Niall Coakley, David Mannix (0-3, one free), Alan Connolly (1-1).
Subs: D McLoughlin for Kavanagh (37 mins), R Joyce for Sheehy (51 mins), R Martina for Manning (53 mins), B Coakley (0-1, a '45') for N Coakley (53 mins), S Ryan for Murphy (60 mins).
Referee: Dave Feeney (Parnells).
