Crokes thinking of higher honours
Such ambitions may seem premature but they are entitled to their optimism given the fact that the club were All-Ireland champions once before in 1995 and Leinster kingpins as recently as three seasons ago.
Yet they would do well not to get too far ahead of themselves. Tomorrow they face Navan O’Mahonys in a provincial semi-final that promises to add another gripping chapter to the Dublin-Meath rivalry.
O’Mahonys travel to Parnell Park as underdogs but ones in possession of a dangerous bite. Their lowest margin of victory since the county championship quarter-final was 10 points.
“No matter what way you look at it, whether it is the Dublin-Meath thing or the strength of the two sides on paper, it has set itself up to be a great game,” says Navan’s full-back Kevin Reilly. “I think it will live up to it too.
“From talking to one or two people around the Kilmacud area, they seem to be setting their sights very high. I hear talk of them wanting to emulate what Vincent’s did last year.
“The pressure is off us now that we won our county championship. We lost the previous two county championships when there was a lot of pressure on us but that pressure has lifted and we can go out and enjoy this game.”
They may be the bookies’ bet to succeed in Leinster but Crokes have had to grit it out to get this far, first in their own county championship and then in the wider provincial sphere.
A late Mark Vaughan score was all that separated them from the exit door a fortnight ago against Louth’s Newtown Blues but such travails may stand to them against what could be an undercooked opponent.
Not only have Navan not been tested in months, but they have only played once in Leinster so far after Wexford champions Killanerin pulled out of their first round fixture in protest at having to play the game 24 hours after their county final.
“It wasn’t ideal but at this stage of the year you have a lot of games under your belt, a lot of tough games, so I wouldn’t really be concerned.
“Okay, it was disappointing that the Killanerin game was called off but we have worked hard in training.”
The problem was compounded by the fact that they were made to work a lot harder in training than was the case in their only provincial run-out thus far, the quarter-final clash in Páirc Tailteann.
Westmeath’s Castledaly had only recently claimed their first ever county title and that was patently the summit of their ambition. Navan had 16 points to spare by the end and, though they looked impressive, it was impossible to make an accurate judgement given the paucity of their opponents’ challenge.
“We were just glad to get the win, really.
“We were going into the unknown because it had been over 10 years since the club had played in Leinster.
“It was our first game outside the Meath championship and we had to give them respect because they had won their own championship as well. They probably didn’t turn up on the day and we were probably a bit more focused on the job in hand.”
None more so than Reilly himself, despite the fact that he had stepped off a plane after a 16,000 kilometre flight from Melbourne less than 48 hours before the ball was thrown in.
One of two Meath players on Sean Boylan’s victorious International Rules team, Reilly showed no ill-effects or jetlag and actually made a storming run from defence to score the game’s only goal close on half-time.
For a man who has been operating on three fronts — club, county and country — since February, it was an impressive all-round display and he will have no qualms if the season stretches into December or the New Year.
“I actually don’t feel too bad. I feel very fresh. After winning a county championship you can’t help but feel good about yourself and all the aches and pains tend to disappear for a while.”
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