Dublin senior hurling championship final

KILMACUD CROKES 0-20 NA FIANNA 0-17

By Paul Keane at Parnell Park, Dublin

There was a sense of deja vu at Parnell Park as Kilmacud Crokes, just like last year, came from behind in the closing stages to deny Na Fianna a maiden Dublin SHC title.

Na Fianna blew a nine-point lead in the closing minutes of the 2021 decider and though it was a little less dramatic this time, coughing up a mere four-point advantage after 44 minutes, it was no less painful for them.

Na Fianna led by 0-16 to 0-12 approaching the final quarter hour but were outscored 0-8 to 0-1 from there by an experienced Crokes side that never panicked en route to back to back title successes.

And with the club's footballers having also won the last two county titles, it's a historic double-double for the Stillorgan club.

The strong finish from Crokes was doubly impressive as they lost key attacker Alex Considine to a 58th minute red card following an off the ball incident.

Oisin O'Rorke was excellent for the Glenalbyn side from both frees and open play and finished with 0-9, contributing four of those late points as they turned the screw.

Cian MacGabhann, Dara Purcell, Ronan Hayes and Cian O Cathasaigh were also on the mark during that blitz of scoring as Crokes swept to their seventh title.

Their reward is another crack at Clough-Ballacolla in the Leinster club SHC having lost to the Laois side at the semi-final stage of last year's provincial competition.

That quarter-final tie will be back at Parnell Park on November 13.

It's desperately tough on Na Fianna who were vying for an unlikely maiden title despite two losses earlier in the campaign, to Cuala and Ballyboden St Enda's.

Those defeats meant they had to navigate a quarter-final tie, against St Vincent's, before gaining revenge on Cuala in the last four.

Crokes, meanwhile, won all their group games and qualified directly for a semi-final clash with Ballyboden which they won with seven points to spare.

All of that, along with Crokes' victory over Na Fianna in last year's decider, left the south Dublin side as favourites and they initially lived up to that billing.

With 11 minutes on the clock, in perfect conditions with bright sun and only light wind, they led 0-5 to 0-1.

Oisin O'Rorke drilled two of those points from frees while Considine, an injury doubt after being taken off in the semi-final a fortnight ago, started and scored one too.

Na Fianna found themselves in a tricky position in the third quarter of the semi-final when Cuala launched revival but finished off that game impressively and showed similar resolve here.

By the 17th minute they were back on level terms at 0-6 apiece, the excellent Donal Burke scoring four of their first six points.

It set the tone for a tight encounter with the sides level again at 0-9 apiece before O'Rorke converted a free for Corkes to leave his side with a narrow 0-10 to 0-9 half-time lead.

Na Fianna set up with an extra defender, dropping Feargal Breathnach back as their spare man, leaving Mark Grogan as the free Crokes defender.

Na Fianna dominated the third quarter and outscored Crokes by 0-7 to 0-1 to open up that 0-16 to 0-12 lead with captain Burke outstanding and leading by example.

Diarmuid Clerkin also boomed over a beauty for the Glasnevin side, opening up that four-point lead and leaving them on the cusp of a breakthrough title success for the club.

But they couldn't push on and, just like the club's senior footballers, ultimately fell to Crokes on the biggest stage.

Kilmacud Crokes scorers: Oisin O'Rorke 0-9 (0-7f), Alex Considine 0-2, Fergal Whitely 0-2, Micheal Roche 0-1, Brian Hayes 0-1, Caolan Conway 0-1, Cian MacGabhann 0-1, Dara Purcell 0-1, Ronan Hayes 0-1, Cian O Cathasaigh 0-1.

Na Fianna scorers: Donal Burke 0-11 (0-6f), Andrew Jamieson-Murphy 0-4, Sean Currie 0-1 (0-1 s/l), Diarmuid Clerkin 0-1.

Kilmacud Crokes: Eddie Gibbons; Darragh Butler, Cian Ryan; Mark Grogan; Davy Crowe, Cian O Cathasaigh, Cian MacGabhann; Brian Hayes, Dara Purcell; Caolan Conway, Fergal Whitely, Oisin O'Rorke; Micheal Roche, Ronan Hayes, Alex Considine.

Subs: Brendan Scanlon for Conway 45, Ronan Costello for Hayes 67.

Na Fianna: Jonathan Treacy; Sean Burke, Conor McHugh, Donal Ryan; Feargal Breathnach; Diarmuid Clerkin, Liam Rushe, Hugh Fenlon; Peter Feeney, Micheal Murphy; Tom Brennan, Donal Burke, Sean Currie; Andrew Jamieson-Murphy, Colin Currie.

Subs: Sean Baxter for Brennan 27, Sean Ryan for Micheal Murphy 52, Matthew Oliver for Donal Ryan 55, Shane Barrett for Jamieson-Murphy 59.

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).