Crokes miss their target yet again

DUBLIN SFC SEMI-FINAL (replay):NO MENTION of groundhogs just yet, but the inability of south Dublin's GAA aristocrats to finish one or other off has become a slight problem. A third meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday back in Parnell Park.

Ballyboden St Enda’s, again, primarily through the excellence of Conal Keaney, refused to lie down. Kilmacud Crokes refused to play like All-Ireland champions.

There is an obvious excuse. A cold, damp night helped them amass 19 wides. Eight of these were racked up by 24 minutes when Mark Vaughan took possession wide left on the 45 to curl one over from memory. It put them in front, 0-2 to 0-1.

The referee could be criticised for thinking the whistle was a musical instrument, but such an evening breeds handling errors and sloppy fouls. Thankfully, there were subplots to ensure the loyalists forgot the arrival of winter. Darren Magee and Declan O’Mahony went at it in a straight duel of prospective Dublin midfielders. Magee was shown an unnecessary yellow card that may have stunted his growth.

After the damage Keaney inflicted in their initial encounter (eight points), Ross O’Carroll was switched on to Ballyboden’s most potent attacking weapon. It worked initially, but his quality eventually shone through.

Andrew Kerin is a decent forward and registered four points here, but he clearly blasphemed the football gods recently. Early in extra-time Simon Lambert’s shot dropped short for him, but his first two shots came off the post, the third went into the side-netting.

Dublin’s under-21 captain Cian O’Sullivan seems destined for a prolonged inter-county career, starting in 2010. There is evidence of pace, athleticism and a decent football brain. But graft and luck, on the Donnycarney ice rink, were the attributes required last night.

At the break, Vaughan had three points; adding an easy free and 45 he casually chipped over in injury-time. Kerin bagged his second, a free, moments earlier.

Finally, the torch paper was lit midway through the second half when Pat Burke burst through on goal, but his shot was well blocked by Dara Walsh – O’Sullivan’s punch to the net seemed to have settled matters.

Ballyboden needed an immediate response and it came from a goal by midfielder Michael MacAuley after Keaney’s free broke kindly. The momentum now swung wildly in Ballyboden’s favour with a Keaney score followed up by another from Kerin to level matters at 1-6 apiece.

Vaughan put the champions back in front with a free but Keaney soon posted his third score of the half, keeping everyone gripped by a contest that had us snoozing 20 minutes earlier.

Ballyboden eased into a winning position when a defensive error presented Kenny Naughton with a sight of the posts. He nailed it.

That looked to be Crokes’ season skewered, but Brian McGrath gathered a sloppy ball, worked it down the right where Declan Kelleher eventually forced Walsh to tip his shot over the crossbar. It was now 1-8 each.

In extra-time Crokes nudged in front thanks to a Pat Burke point. Keaney levelled it up with a free two minutes into the second period. The knee jerk reaction was a Morrissey score. Then Dara Nelson burst forward to feed Keaney who levelled it again.

KILMACUD CROKES:D Nestor; Ross O'Carroll, K Nolan, C Lambe; B McGrath, P Griffin, C O'Sullivan (1-1); D Magee, N Corkery (0-1); P Burke (0-1), L Óg Ó hEineacháin, A Morrissey (0-2); M Vaughan (0-4, two frees, one 45), B Kavanagh, R Cosgrove. Subs: D Kelleher (0-1) for Cosgrove (49 mins); L McBarron for Corkery (52); J Magee for Kavanagh (68); Cosgrove for Vaughan (79).

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S:D Walsh; C Dolan, I Clarke, J O'Hara; C Smith, D Kiernan, D Nelson; M MacAuley (1-0), D O'Mahony; P Galvin, D Davey, S Durkin; C Keaney (0-5, two frees), K Naughton (0-1), A Kerin (0-4, two frees). Subs: S Lambert for Galvin (42 mins); P O'Brien for O'Hara (49); C Hore for Smith (53); C Hiney for Davey (72).

Referee:G McCormack (Naomh Barróg).