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Image courtesy Eamon O'Callaghan
KILMACUD CROKES 2-24
ST JUDE’S 0-11
Kilmacud Crokes picked up their second successive victory in Group 4 of the Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship when easing past St Jude’s by nineteen points at Parnell Park on Friday night.
Last year’s beaten finalists dominated the first-half with Paul Mannion’s five points from play augmented by a Darragh Dempsey goal in the 7th minute as they built up a healthy 1-11 to 0-5 interval advantage.
Crokes’ dominance was even more pronounced after the break with a Shane Walsh goal in the 42nd minute and the Galway attacker impressed from that point as he took his personal tally to 1-5 by the final whistle.
Kilmacud took little time in gaining the ascendancy as they pushed two points ahead inside as many minutes courtesy of Shane Walsh and Mannion.
Mannion added to his tally in the 4th minute with a typically booming strike from deep while at the opposite end, a strong run from Kevin Lahiff yielded an opening score for St Jude’s through Darragh Rooney’s free.
That score failed to stall the Crokes momentum as Craig Dias restored their three-point lead before Dara Mullin raced through to release Dempsey for a straightforward finish past Lorcan Molloy.
Mullin and Mannion added to the Crokes tally prior to St Jude’s gaining some kind of foothold thanks to scores by Kevin Lahiff and Rooney (free).
Mannion continued on his merry way with his fourth point from play in the 21st minute and it wasn’t long before he added his fifth with a sublime curling effort from the left-flank.
The Kilmacud lead was stretched as Padraig Purcell popped over two late scores but St Jude’s finished the half in an encouraging manner as Eoghan Costello pierced his way through from wing-back before splitting the uprights.
Leading by nine points at half-time, Crokes replicated their first-half start as they kicked three points in quick succession through Mullin, Dempsey and Paddy O’Connor.
While Rooney replied with a brace at the opposite end, those scores already had a consolation feel about them and that view was enforced in the 41st minute as Mannion intercepted a Molloy kick-out and fed Walsh for a facile finish from six yards.
The hugely influential Mannion added a red flag to his personal tally by the end of the third quarter as Kilmacud’s lead was enhanced to twenty points.
Some of the entertainment value was lost when Mannion was replaced in the 48th minute but Walsh did his best to keep the umpires busy as he kicked three further points to complete a resounding success for Crokes.
Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: P Mannion 0-9 (1 P2, 1f); S Walsh 1-5 (0-2f); D Dempsey 1-1; D Mullin 0-4; P Purcell 0-2; D O’Brien, P O’Connor, C Dias 0-1 apiece. St Jude’s: D Rooney 0-5 (4f); L Toye 0-2 (P2); K Lahiff, E Costello, T Lahiff, M Lawlor 0-1 apiece.
Kilmacud Crokes: D Higgins; M Mullin, C O’Shea, 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, D Dempsey. Subs: L Ward for Dempsey (41), B Shovlin for O’Connor (45), S Horan for Mannion (48), J Murphy for McGowan (51), H Kenny for Purcell (51).
St Jude’s: L Molloy; S Kirwan, A Hassett, C McLoughlin; E Costello, S King, K Lahiff; S Noone, T Lahiff; D Kavanagh, E Kenny, S Murphy; M Lawlor, K Doherty, D Rooney. Subs: L Toye for Doherty (30), D Sheehy for Noone (half-time), A McGennis for Kavanagh (38), H O’Neill for Lawlor (48), R Wallace for Kenny (58).
Referee: Eamonn Dromgoole English (Cuala).