'Dublin is where it’s at for us' - Kilmacud relishing three-in-a-row after seeing off Ballyboden
FOOTBALL'S ELITE: The Kilmacud Crokes team celebrate. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady
Whatever comes after this, Kilmacud Crokes manager Robbie Brennan doesn’t seem to care.
The first threepeat to be achieved in the Dublin senior football championship since Na Fianna in 2001, a number of his players had held off on extended holidays to give their all to this quest.
Whether he can convince them to stick around for a third defence of a Leinster title remains to be seen but after this emphatic win he was insisting that can wait.
“Dublin is where it’s at for us and obviously that’s no disrespect to Leinster or the All-Ireland but Dublin is the be-all and end-all for a club like us,” Brennan remarked.
“To do it three years in a row is a bit surreal at the minute. We’ll look at Leinster but if we never win another game that’s an amazing achievement by this group.
“We’re probably losing more players because some stayed around for the Dublin championship but want to go travelling now so we could be even weaker. That’s why Dublin was our only focus and we haven’t looked at Leinster.”
Their path to this latest final appearance was rockier than their two previous championship captures and yet this performance in Parnell Park eclipsed the 2021 and ’22 wins over St Jude’s and Na Fianna respectively.
Pushed to penalties by Raheny in the semi-final, they had looked vulnerable at times in this competition.
However, they used the two-week build-up to study Ballyboden intently and produce a game-plan that had their opponents running down cul de sacs and allowed them to transition quickly to plunder forward.
Shane Walsh’s 40th-minute goal will be remembered for its impeccable finish but in the context of the game Hugh Kenny’s interception of James Holland that initiated the counter-attack for the score was the most telling play.
For some much of the afternoon, Crokes had been leading Boden into making such errors.
“We felt rightly so they were favourites coming in,” said Brennan. “They had played all the football this year, scored more, conceded less than we had. We haven’t hit our straps at all.
“We were hoping to get a big game out today and obviously tactically I think we got it right in how we set up and how we went about it. We knew their threats and how they like to attack down that 15 channel. I have to watch it back to see if we shut it down fully but overall you’d have to be delighted with how the lads executed the plan.”
The goal propelled Crokes into a six-point lead and with Ballyboden having only that amount of points to their name at that stage the game had an ominous feel to it.
“When you’re on the line, you never fully feel like you’re in control particularly in Kilcoo in the (2021-22) All-Ireland final,” smiled Brennan. “But I think the goal gave us that extra cushion.”
From Walsh’s finish to the final whistle, the game was largely processional as Crokes, who had already been comfortable sitting back and soaking up what Boden threw at them, carried on and lapped up their opponents’ frenetic attempts to stage a comeback.
Crokes indicated intent with Mark O’Leary’s third-minute point. Their football was more efficient that Ballyboden’s and their first wide of the opening period came with the last kick of it, Shane Walsh’s 45 after Darragh Gogan kept out Shane Horan’s effort.
Crokes were content to stay deep and the likes of Paul Mannion and Walsh had turns manning the middle of their defensive cover. For Boden’s first score, Shane Donohoe feverishly turned the ball over three times in a few seconds to initiate the attack that finished with a Ross McGarry strike.
Ballyboden squared matters in the seventh minute but the next 15 minutes belonged to Crokes as Shane Horan and Ryan Jones found their targets from mid-range.
After Colm Basquel struck his second point, Mannion curled over a beautiful effort in the 18th minute upon receipt of a quick Dara Mullin pass and three minutes later Dan O’Brien stepped up the field to convert a point with the outside of his right boot.
With blocks and sheer numbers, Crokes were irritating St Enda’s although they strung together a couple of points within a minute when a Ryan Basquel followed a free with one from play after another fine example of high fielding from Colm Darcy.
Mannion responded with another gorgeous score from distance to restore Crokes’ two-point cushion prior to Horan’s attempt, the only genuine goal opening of the half.
Ahead by a nose at the break, 0-7 to 0-5, Crokes were furlongs in front long before the end.
S. Walsh (1-2); P. Mannion (1 free), S. Cunningham (0-3 each); M. O’Leary, S. Horan, A. Jones, D. O’Brien, D. Mullin, C. O’Connor (0-1 each).
C. Basquel (1 frees), R. Basquel (2 frees) (0-3 each), R. McGarry (0-2); D. Sweeney (0-1).
D. Higgins; D. O’Brien, T. Clancy, J. Murphy; A. McGowan, A. Jones, R. O’Carroll; B. Sheehy, M. O’Leary; S. Horan, P. Mannion, D. Mullin; H. Kenny, S. Cunningham, S. Walsh.
C. O’Connor for S. Horan (42); L. Ward for H. Kenny (51); D. Dempsey for S. Cunningham (58); A. Quinn for A. Jones (59); L. Flatman for M. O’Leary (60+2).
D. Gogan; C. Flaherty, B. Bobbett, S. Clayton; K. Kennedy, J. Jolland, A. Gavin; C. Darcy, M.D. Macauley; L. O’Donohue, R. McGarry, W. Egan; R. O’Dwyer, R. Basquel, C. Basquel.
M. McDonald for M.D. Macauley (h-t); D. Sweeney for K. Kennedy, R. Baynes for L. O’Donohue (both 45); D. O’Reilly for R. O’Dwyer (48); L. McHugh for B. Bobbett (51).
D. Feeney (Parnells).
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