Dublin SFC: Powerful first half sees Kilmacud Crokes ease into final

Kilmacud Crokes' Shane Cunningham scores a goal. Picture: INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan

Kilmacud Crokes 1-15 Ballyboden St Enda’s 1-8

Kilmacud Crokes delivered a dominant second quarter display when easing past southside rivals Ballyboden St Enda’s by seven points in the second Dublin SFC semi-final at Parnell Park on Saturday evening.

Despite opening the scoring through a Ryan Basquel free, Ballyboden were largely on the back foot in the opening half and after Craig Dias had spurned a glorious goal chance in the 5th minute, Crokes restored parity through a trademark run and point from Paul Mannion.

Basquel restored Boden’s lead in the 11th minute but it proved an isolated moment of promise for last year’s beaten finalists as they began to lose control around the middle third.

Successive points from Mannion, Shane Horan and Tom Fox saw Kilmacud lead by 0-4 to 0-2 at the first water break and they maintained their momentum with three further points on the bounce through Fox, Dara Mullin and Dan O’Brien as the half evolved.

A Mannion free in the 27th minute pushed Crokes six points clear and while Conal Keaney ended a seventeen-minute barren period for Boden soon after, they suffered a massive body blow approaching the break.

O’Brien’s lengthy delivery saw Shane Cunningham outfield Kieran Kennedy close to goal and there was a calmness attached to the finish as he fired low past the exposed Darragh Gogan.

Leading by 1-9 to 0-3 at the break, Kilmacud continued to impress upon the resumption as Hugh Kenny, Conor Ferris and Mannion extended their lead with St Enda’s offering little in return bar points by Ross McGarry and Keaney.

Cunningham embellished another fine display with two points in quick succession in the final quarter with Simon Lambert’s goal deep into added time offering little by way of cheer for a well-beaten Ballyboden side by the final whistle.

Scorers for Kilmacud Crokes: S Cunningham (1-2); P Mannion (0-4, 3f); T Fox (1f), C Ferris (2 ‘45’s), D Mullin (0-2 each); D O’Brien, S Horan, H Kenny (0-1 each).

Scorers for Ballyboden St Enda’s: S Lambert (1-0); R Basquel (0-3, 2f); C Keaney (0-2); C Basquel (f), R McGarry, D Nelson (0-1 each).

KILMACUD CROKES: C Ferris; M Mullin, A McGowan, R McGowan; R O’Carroll, C O’Shea, D O’Brien; B Shovlin, C Dias; S Horan, D Mullin, T Fox; P Mannion, S Cunningham, H Kenny.

Subs: C Casey for Dias (45), C O’Connor for Fox (47), C Pearson for Kenny (54), B Sheehy for Shovlin (58), A Jones for Mannion (59).

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S: D Gogan; H Donaghy, S Clayton, C Flaherty; S Lambert, K Kennedy, J Holland; A Waters, D McCabe; D O’Reilly, C Basquel, A Flood; C Keaney, R Basquel, W Egan.

Subs: R McGarry for Egan (39), C O’Reilly for D O’Reilly (40), D O’Mahoney for Flood (42), P Dunleavy for Waters (46), D Nelson for McCabe (51).

Ref: David Sweeney (St Oliver Plunkett’s-Eoghan Ruadh).