Thomas Davis keep winning streak going to progress to SFC1 decider

Sat, 26th October 2019

DUBLIN SFC1 SEMI-FINAL

THOMAS DAVIS 2-12 KILMACUD CROKES 1-10

A Ciarán Farrelly goal immediately on the restart of the second half put Thomas Davis on the road to victory in Saturday’s Dublin SFC1 semi-final at Parnell Park.

A long ball from Ryan Deegan was mishandled by Crokes keeper David Nestor and Farrelly was on hand to fire to the net.

The influential Ryan Deegan followed up with a great point as Davis moved 1-7 to 0-6 clear, it was a lead they never relinquished as they toppled the champions of last year to progress to their first top-flight final since winning a three in-a-row in 1991.

Ten minutes into the second half Davis, SFC2 champions last year, hit their second goal when the marauding Brendan Kirby struck clinically to the Crokes net.

Though Crokes replied with a goal of their own when the ball looked to end in the net off the fingertips of Davis’ full-back Brian Kirby it was the Tallaght side who were the more cohesive as their work-rate and counter-attacking play kept them in front until the finish.

Points from the hard-working Cian Murphy, Eoin Kirby and Seán Reilly, late in added time, saw Paul Kelly’s men to a brilliant victory.

They will face Ballyboden St Enda’s in the Dublin SFC1 final next Sunday in Parnell Park (4.0) with the SFC2 decider as the curtain-raiser (Whitehall Colmcille v Round Tower, Lusk, 2.0).

The sides were level 0-6 each at the interval after Thomas Davis concluded the half on the up.

Champions of last year Crokes lost Paul Mannion to injury in the 11^th minute at which stage they led 0-3 to 0-1 thanks to scores from Craig Dias, off his left, Pat Burke (free) and a curling effort from Callum Pearson in response to Oisín Kelly’s opening point for Davis.

Shane Horan made it 0-4 to 0-1 for Crokes as they held the upperhand but as the half progress the Kiltipper Road outfit grew in confidence and looked more assured.

However, converted frees by Burke, following a foul on Shane Horan, and Offaly senior Horan himself, after a foul on Cian O’Connor, gave Kilmacud a 0-6 to 0-3 lead by the 27^th minute.

Then Davis enjoyed their most productive spell with excellent strikes from Eoin Kirby and Ryan Deegan before an Eoin Kirby free brought the sides level well into first half added time.

His point from play shortly before his equaliser was a lovely shot that he deliberately faded left to right before the athletic Deegan curled over an excellent effort, off his left, which curled just inside the near post.

SCORERS - Thomas Davis: E Kirby 0-5 (0-4f), C Farrelly 1-1, Brendan Kirby 1-0, R Deegan 0-2, O Kelly, S McGrath, C Murphy, S Reilly 0-1. Kilmacud Crokes: P Burke 0-4 (0-3f), S Horan 0-2 (0-1f), C Dias, C Pearson, D Mullin, A McGowan 0-1 each; 1-0 own goal Brian Kirby.

THOMAS DAVIS: R Crilly; Brian Kirby, A Fallon, A Shorten; C Murphy, P Quinn, S Kennedy; R Deegan, Brendan Kirby; O Kelly, E Kirby, E Lambert; D Keogh, C Farrelly, S McGrath. Subs: E O’Toole for Kelly (37), S Reilly for McGrath (53), M Nolan for Farrelly (65).

KILMACUD CROKES: D Nestor; A McGowan, R O’Carroll, R McGowan; C O'Connor, C O’Shea, C Russell; C Dias, B Shovlin; S Horan, P Mannion, S Cunningham; C Pearson, D Mullin, P Burke. Subs: T Fox for Mannion (inj, 11), N O'Leary for Dias (inj, 33), A Jones for Cunningham (43), H Kenny for O'Connor (43), D Jones for Pearson (47), S Williams for Mullin (52).

REF: R Malone (St Mary’s, Saggart).