Kilmacud Crokes progress to the Leinster GAA AIB Senior Club Football Championship Semi Final

Sat, 4th November 2023

KILMACUD CROKES 1-12

ÉIRE ÓG 0-4

Kilmacud Crokes’ quest for a third successive provincial title started on an encouraging note as they defeated Carlow champions Éire Óg by eleven points in their Leinster GAA AIB Senior Club Football Championship quarter-final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening.

The Dublin champions were never truly troubled on a night where they controlled possession in a mature if unspectacular way with Shane Walsh putting the gloss on their performance with a well-taken goal in injury time.

Despite playing against the elements in the first-half, it was Crokes that looked the more threatening up front in the early stages with Shane Walsh opening the scoring from a free with a minute on the clock.

Kilmacud looked to make inroads down their left flank with Dan O’Brien and Dara Mullin particularly prominent and it was the latter that doubled the Crokes lead when firing over in the 3^rd minute.

Éire Óg enjoyed some sporadic spells of forward play but impressive full-back Theo Clancy looked comfortable under the high ball and another attack down the left culminated in Mullin’s second point of the half with eight minutes played.

The Carlow champions finally found their range as corner-back Benny Kavanagh used the breeze to telling effect with a fine score from distance in the 10^th minute but even at this early juncture, that score seemed insufficient, given Kilmacud’s control of matters.

O’Brien highlighted his attacking instincts as he first-timed a loose ball over the crossbar in the 13^th minute to restore his team’s three point advantage.

Mullin looked especially sharp and another sortie down the right channel of Éire Óg saw his fist over from a tight angle in the 18^th minute before Andy McGowan popped up in a similar position five minutes later to leave five points between the teams.

Kilmacud’s stranglehold loosened for a few minutes from that point, allowing Éire Óg to trim their deficit thanks to successive scores by Colm Hulton and a Jordan Morrissey free.

However, the half finished as it started and after Mark O’Leary chipped in with his customary score from midfield, an excellent McGowan point left Crokes sitting pretty with an 0-8 to 0-3 interval lead.

The second-half resumed on a far more even setting as Kilmacud lacked the cohesion evident before the break but that mattered little given the dearth of options in the Éire Óg forward line.

Brian Sheehy galloped forward for an excellent solo score in the 37^th minute before their opponents gained tangible reward for their improved efforts thanks to an Adam McCarron free.

The score of the game arrived in the 42^nd minute as Mullin darted in from the touchline, leaving a host of defenders in his wake, with his finish from twenty-five metres splitting the uprights.

Another free from Walsh pushed Kilmacud seven points clear by the end of the third quarter with the scoring stalling for the ensuing sixteen minutes as Kilmacud patiently kept possession without overly threatening.

The goal arrived as Paul Mannion intercepted at midfield with Walsh racing clear to fire home off his left foot past Johnny Furey in the Éire Óg goal with their disappointment compounded by the late dismissal of Morrissey.

Mannion added his first score deep into injury time to complete a comprehensive success as they took another progressive step towards defending their provincial and national titles.

Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: S Walsh 1-2 (0-2f), D Mullin 0-4, A McGowan 0-2, D O’Brien, M O’Leary, B Sheehy, P Mannion 0-1 apiece. Éire Óg: B Kavanagh, C Hulton, J Morrissey (f), A McCarron (f) 0-1 apiece.

Kilmacud Crokes: D Higgins; J Murphy, T Clancy, D O’Brien; A Quinn, A McGowan, R O’Carroll; M O’Leary, B Sheehy; C O’Connor, P Mannion, D Mullin; H Kenny, S Cunningham, S Walsh. Subs: L Ward for O’Connor (48), T Fox for Cunningham (55), L Flatman for O’Carroll (55), D Dempsey for Kenny (55), D Murphy for Quinn (58).

Éire Óg: J Furey; C Kelly, M Furey, B Kavanagh; M Behan, S Buggy, D Ruth; J Morrissey, M Ware; K Nolan, S Gannon, D Dunphy; C Hulton, R Dunphy, A McCarron. Subs: L Moore for Behan (26), K Chatten for Dunphy (43), J Brady for McCarron (57), C McGrath for Kelly (60).

Referee: Fintan Pierce (Offaly).