Kilmacud Crokes Claim a Huge Win Over Lucan Sarsfields

Image Courtesy Eamon O'Callaghan

KILMACUD CROKES 1-21 

LUCAN SARSFIELDS 0-5

Kilmacud Crokes progressed to the semi-finals of the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senor 1 Football Championship when overcoming Lucan Sarsfields by nineteen points at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Last year’s beaten finalists strolled through the group stages and were strengthened by the return of Theo Clancy to their starting line-up as they enjoyed a 0-13 to 0-3 lead by half-time with Shane Walsh kicking a quartet of two-pointers.

A goal from Walsh within three minutes of the restart effectively settled the issue and the contest meandered from that juncture to its inevitable conclusion.  

Lucan booked their place in the last eight when easing past Raheny in their final group game and it was their match-winner that day, Mark Lavin, who opened the scoring when pointing off his left foot in the 2nd minute. 

Joe Quigley levelled matters in an instant and an excellent two-pointed score from Walsh pushed Crokes two points clear by the 5th minute before the Galway star repeated the trick within a minute. 

Crokes continued to impress as Pádraig Purcell popped over two scores to leave six points separating the teams by the 11th minute and Walsh once again showcased his qualities as he added his third two-pointer before the end of the first quarter. 

Kicking into the wind, Lucan spurned a number of presentable opportunities of doubling their tally before they eventually ended a barren period of twenty-one minutes through a well-taken Colm Behan point. 

While Crokes suffered a relatively flat period in the second quarter, they still had the brilliance of Walsh to call upon as another superb strike in the 27th minute got them back on track in terms of scores. 

While Lavin popped over a free by way of riposte, Lucan faced a ten-point deficit by the interval as Dara Mullin and Paddy O’Connor kicked late points for Kilmacud. 

Paul Mannion may have failed to reappear for the second-half but that didn’t prevent Crokes from building on their advantage as a Quigley point was soon augmented by a spectacular strike from Walsh that flew into the net past the helpless Alex Birnie.

Points from Mullin and Walsh (free) enhanced their lead to sixteen points approaching the three-quarter mark before Lavin kicked a two-pointed free in the 45th minute to finally open Lucan’s second-half account. 

It proved an isolated moment of positivity for Lucan as they conceded further points to Walsh, Craig Dias and Purcell as the contest evolved while Kilmacud wing-back Leo Fearon burst through for a well-taken score in the 55th minute. 

It was fitting that Walsh should have the final word in terms of scoring with his 60th minute free bringing his personal tally to 1-11 by the final whistle.    

Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: S Walsh 1-11 (4 P2, 0-2f); P Purcell 0-3; D Mullin, J Quigley 0-2 each; L Fearon, P O’Connor, C Dias 0-1 apiece. Lucan Sarsfields: M Lavin 0-4 (1 F2, 1 f); C Behan 0-1. 

Kilmacud Crokes: D Higgins; M Mullin, T Clancy, D O’Brien; A Jones, A McGowan, L Fearon; P O’Connor, C Dias; C O’Connor, P Mannion, D Mullin; P Purcell, S Walsh, J Quigley. Subs: L Ward for Mannion (half-time), M O’Leary for C O’Connor (42), B Shovlin for P O’Connor (45), C O’Shea for McGowan (49), T Fox for Purcell (53).   

Lucan Sarsfields: A Birnie; E Kilduff, D Cahill, F Bruton; C Behan, D Newcombe, J Smith; S Cleary, D Gavin; A Murphy, C Coffey, M Guilfoyle; M Lavin, J Delmar, C Gallagher. Subs:H Keogh for Murphy (Temp, 15-18), Keogh for Guilfoyle (half-time), R Doherty for Delmar (half-time), D Kane for Kilduff (36), B Gallagher for C Gallagher (42), M Coogan for Cleary (49). 

Referee: Dan Stynes (St Peregrine’s).