North and south in battle for supremacy
Kilmacud Crokes will travel north of the Liffey as clear favourites and can make a strong case for the crown of Dublin’s best club of the last decade having contested five of the last 10 deciders (winning three).
They owe their presence in this final to a semi-final replay win over All-Ireland champions St Vincent’s and, though they boast attackers like Mark Vaughan and Longford All Star Brian Kavanagh in their ranks, it is their defence which has caught the eye.
In the two games against Vincent’s, Paddy Carr’s side coughed up just five points from play to a team boasting scoring talents like Mossie Quinn, Diarmuid Connolly and Mayo’s Austin O’Malley.
Their opponents tonight are Navan Road outfit St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh and they bring with them half of the Dublin county side’s starting forward unit in the shape of Alan and Bernard Brogan and Jason Sherlock.
Add in the Dubs’ full-back Ross McConnell and the third Brogan brother, Paul, and questions may be asked as to why they are considered the underdogs. The answer is experience, or lack of it. In existence 48 years, tonight is the club’s first appearance on the main stage.
But their inaugural bow has been on the cards. The side has been progressing ever since manager Dermot Kelly assumed the reins four years ago but luck has been against them. A controversial one-point quarter-final loss to Na Fianna two years ago was followed by a shock defeat at the same stage to St Jude’s 12 month’s ago.
“Funny enough, a lot of people would have felt that we should have gone further the last few years but my own opinion is that it was a young side,” said Kelly. “It still is a young side. A lot of the guys are between 22 and 25.
“We brought 14 younger guys into the senior squad when we took over four years ago and we have just married that in with some of the older lads who had been there already.”
As with every successful Dublin club, player transfusions have been central to their rising fortunes. Sherlock has been superb since his transfer from Na Fianna last year and the defence has improved with the arrival of Michael Brides from Cavan and Conor Evansfrom Offaly.
With long-term injuries to key defenders to contend with earlier in the year, Kelly again put his trust in youth, just as he did when he first took the job. Shane McGuinness, for instance, has done a superb job at wing-back despite still being a minor. Other lesser-known names like captain Gareth ‘Nestie’ Smith and David Matthews deserve their plaudits too.
Said the manager: “The bottom line is, if you spoke to the Brogans or Jason Sherlock, this team isn’t about superstars. It’s all about the team.
“Nestie is the captain and has been our most consistent player so far.
“We have a much-vaunted forward line in that we have three of the inter-county forwards but the defence has to stay intact for the forwards to win the game.”
Sherlock’s preparations have been hampered by injury but he is expected to start. So too might Paul Brogan who has been limited to a subs’ role since his return from injury.
Both will be required to upset the odds tonight.
“If you had asked me to tip the team I thought would win it at the start of the championship I would have tipped Kilmacud Crokes,” said Kelly.
“The one thing about Crokes is that they aren’t just strong from one to 15 — they have it on the bench as well. No matter when you play Kilmacud you will be in a game and up against it.”
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