Kilmacud Crokes secure historic Leinster treble as Naas just fall short

Shane Walsh claimed 1-8 as Crokes secured the first ever three-in-a-row in the province.

CHAMPIONS: Kilmacud Crokes captain Shane Cunningham lifts the Sean McCabe cup with kitman Vinny Patterson. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile

LEINSTER SFC FINAL

Kilmacud Crokes 1-14 Naas 0-10

Kilmacud Crokes remain on course for back-to-back All-Irelands come the New Year after securing a third straight Leinster football title against the Kildare champions at HQ on Saturday afternoon.

The first ever three-in-a-row in the province, this win brings to seven the number of provincial senior baubles claimed by the Stillorgan club and leaves them level with Portlaoise and St Vincent’s on the roll of honour.

And Robbie Kirwan’s side, who had to contend with a virus in the camp that afflicted Paul Mannion and others in the past week, were made to work for every bit of that.

Naas had fallen to them the last two years as well, their 2021 defeat coming at this same stage. They came closer here despite the scoreline but will rue the odd dropped ball, struck post and costly slip that meant it just didn’t go their way on the day.

Crokes will now face the winners of the Glen-Slaughtneil Ulster final at the start of January. The signs were promising for Naas on the off. Shane Walsh’s first possession ended when he was harried into a free for overcarrying and Paul Mannion was soon pressurised into a fumble. Meanwhile, Dermot Hanafin opened the scoring at the far end.

Crokes weren’t of a mind to continue in that vein. The reigning champions enjoyed much more of the possession and the territory in the first period and they had more than just Walsh and Mannion who were capable of pulling the trigger.

STAR MAN: Shane Walsh of Kilmacud Crokes in action against Paul McDermott, left, and Mark Maguire of Naas. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

There was just two in it at the break, Kilmacud leading 0-9 to 0-7, and the Kildare side could have been at parity or better had a couple of fizzed, low efforts by Beirne gone a yard or two lower off his boot.

More ‘what ifs’ followed after the break with two Naas shots bouncing back off the uprights and Sean Hanafin being millimetres from fisting an underhit Beirne free into the net two among the more obvious of sliding door moments.

A Paul McDermott score left just the one point between them entering the last ten minutes as Crokes, subconsciously maybe, began to adopt a ‘what we have, we hold’ formation before they made the most of Naas’s desperation late on.

A quick burst of 1-2, the goal from Walsh being claimed via an empty net, proved to be rough justice on the challengers who also had Beirne sent off for a second yellow card offence deep into injury-time.

Scorers for Kilmacud Crokes: S Walsh (1-8, 0-5 frees); S Horan (0-2); C Dias, R O’Carroll and D Mullin (all 0-1); P Mannion (0-1 free).

Scorers for Naas: D Kirwan (0-4, 0-2 frees); A Beirne (0-4); P McDermott, D Hanafin (both 0-1).

Kilmacud Crokes: D Higgins; C Dias, T Clancy, D O’Brien ; S Horan, A McGowan, M O’Leary; B Sheehy, R O’Carroll; C O’Connor, S Cunninagham, H Kenny; P Mannion, D Mullin, S Walsh.

Subs: D Murphy for Kenny (HT); C Pearson for Mullin (38); L Ward for Cunningham and D Dempsey for O’Connor (50); J Murphy for Dias (58).

Naas: L Mullins; C Daly, B Byrne, M Maguire; P McDermott, E Doyle, E Prizeman; P McDermott, J Burke; A Beirne, S Hanafin, J McKevitt; C McCarthy, D Hanafin, D Kirwan.

Subs: K Cummins for McDermott and T Browne for Prizeman (both 51); N Aherne for D Hanafin (58); S Cullen for McKevitt (60).

Referee: D Hickey.