Kilmacud Crokes stay on track for double-double
JOB DONE: Kilmacud Crokes' Davy Crowe celebrates after the game with Brian Sheehy
The sense of deja vu was strong as holders Kilmacud Crokes surged through to another Dublin SHC final, keeping the club in line for a dream double-double of county senior titles.
Crokes' hurlers bounced back from an early speed wobble to comfortably overcome southside neighbours and rivals Ballyboden St Endas and seal their final place.
And with the club's footballers already through to next weekend's big ball final, another double to match last year's heroics in both codes remains a distinct possibility.
The footballers will play Na Fianna in their showpiece and it could yet be a Crokes-Na Fianna hurling decider too as Na Fianna are set to face Cuala in the second hurling semi-final.
Bar a slow opening quarter, this was about as comprehensive a semi-final win as Crokes could have hoped for at Parnell Park.
Alex Considine's 15th minute goal put them on the road to the big win and they never looked back though the Dublin forward's withdrawal just minutes into the second-half was concerning.
Even without him they cantered home with free-taker Oisin O'Rorke finishing up with six points.
Fergal Whitely and Dara Purcell notched three points each, all from play, while defender Davy Crowe drilled two eye-catching scores after breaking forward.
Crokes came into this contest as favourites, partly because they're holders and partly because they cruised through the group stage with five wins.
That secured their passage to the last four while 'Boden, who finished second in Group 1, had to navigate a quarter-final against Lucan Sarsfields.
Avoiding a quarter-final meant Crokes hadn't played a game since beating St Vincent's back in early September.
That perhaps explained their early rustiness and they conceded six of the game's first nine points.
Former Dublin attacker Paul Ryan helped himself to three of those 'Boden scores as they surged 0-6 to 0-3 clear after 11 minutes.
Conor Dooley struck a brace of points too as the 2018 champions and 2020 finalists quickly found their stride.
The game turned decisively in Crokes' favour in the second quarter of the game - starting with that 15th minute Considine goal.
It came from nothing as Considine gathered up a speculative ball in from O'Rourke and flashed a drive from the left past goalkeeper Finn McGarry.
From there, Crokes took off and outscored 'Boden by 1-9 to 0-4 before half-time to lead 1-12 to 0-10 at the break.
There were bursts of four and three points in a row from the Stillorgan side in that second quarter blitz which went a long way to killing the contest.
County man Ronan Hayes came alive with back to back Crokes scores and the feeling that 'Boden were in bother was strong.
The Firhouse Road men set up with Simon Lambert as a sweeper in defence but the tactic couldn't quell Crokes.
'Boden took off 40-year-old Conal Keaney in the third quarter but the comeback they craved never materialised.
They added just five second-half points while Crokes went through the motions to remain well out of reach.
Substitute Fionn O Ceallaigh did his chances of a start in the final no harm with 0-3 for Crokes.
His third score was a beauty as he beat his man to a ball on the ground, got back up and split the posts from 40 metres.
Dara Purcell also got among Crokes' eight scores while Micheal Roche sniped a beauty from the left wing moments before being substituted. It looked like a cautionary move to prevent injury with the final in mind as Crokes moved within 60 minutes of their first ever successful hurling title defence.
: O O'Rorke (0-6, 5 frees); A Considine (1-1); F Whitely, D Purcell (0-3); R Hayes, D Crowe, F O Ceallaigh (0-2), M Roche (0-1).
P Ryan (0-5, 1 free); N Ryan (0-3); C Dooley, N McMorrow (0-2); A Mellett, S Lambert, K Desmond (0-1) Kilmacud Crokes: E Gibbons; C Ryan, D Butler, M Grogan; C MacGabhann, B Sheehy, C O Cathasaigh; D Crowe, D Purcell; C Conway, O O'Rorke, F Whitely; A Considine, R Hayes, M Roche.
Subs: F O Ceallaigh for Considine (34); S Veale for Conway (41); R O'Loughlin for Butler (54); B Hayes for MacGabhann (56); R Costello for Roche (58).
F McGarry; S O'Connor, J Madden, L Corcoran; S Lambert; S Durkin, D O'Connor, P Dunleavy; N Ryan, A Mellett; L McDwyer, C Keaney, C Dooley; N McMorrow, P Ryan.
Subs: T Hammersley for Keaney (38); P Christie for McDwyer (39); K Desmond for Dooley (54); H O'Sullivan for Dunleavy (57).
: T Gleeson.
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