DUBLIN SFC SEMI-FINALL REPLAY - Ballyboden St Enda's 0-19 Kilmacud Crokes1-12 (1-9 to 0-12 after 60 minutes):IN EXTRA-TIME of their third meeting in 14 days Ballyboden St Enda's finally broke the All-Ireland champions' will to survive. It was nothing more than that. Kilmacud Crokes only have themselves to blame. They should have sorted this out long before that juncture was reached.
A theme has developed these past three Tuesday nights. The champions constantly threatening to drift away but southside rivals Ballyboden doggedly hanging on in there.
Something had to give. Well, we hoped. Two minutes into injury time at the end of normal time, Dara Nelson retained his composure to ensure 20 more minutes that belonged to Ballyboden and their delirious followers.
At half-time the Kilmacud Crokes management lingered on the field to discuss what had just unfolded. Their men had eased into a two-point lead and considering the wealth of experience, trotting towards the dressingroom, little cajoling or advice was required.
The job was straight forward; they had to start taking their chances. Which was proved at a crucial moment in the game when Crokes were leading 1-7 to 1-5 and Darren Magee smashed the ball against the crossbar.
In the opening half hour six of their 11 shots on goal found a way over the black spot.
Mark Vaughan, typically, gave us one from miles out while Ray Cosgrove hit two decent points but flopped a goal chance engineered by Vaughan. Adrian Morrissey also registered a score but also failed with a goal opportunity, Ballyboden goalkeeper Dara Walsh widening his frame sufficiently.
Just like the previous Tuesdays, Conal Keaney reminded all of his value to Dublin football and the need to keep him away from hurling, especially in the wake of Shane Ryan’s decision to go small ball in 2010.
For most of this three-match saga another hurler, Crokes’ Ross O’Carroll, has been deployed on Keaney with strict instructions to smother Ballyboden’s main attacking weapon. Twenty seconds in and O’Carroll missed him for a simple score. Nineteen minutes later and Keaney twisted him inside then out before punting over the bar.
O’Carroll finished normal time heroically as Keaney put a late effort inches wide before Nelson saved their skins. Earlier, a Keaney free and excellent point from Kenny Naughton kept Ballyboden in touch.
One difference from the previous two meetings was the visibly rising aggression level. Kevin Nolan hardly endeared himself to Declan O’Mahoney, while Darren Magee took up that battle as Nolan minded the house.
Vaughan got another score from distance early in the second- half before a long forgotten All Star from Dublin’s nearly summer of 2002 made a timely impact. Crokes seemed intent on walking the ball into the net via Niall Corkery and Adrian Morrissey before it fell kindly for Cosgrove.
It looked, from the press box at least, like he tried to scoop it over but contact was tame and it ended in the top left corner of the net. Brian Kavanagh was brought in for Cosgrove moments later but a 1-3 return from the veteran forward must be seen as a decent night’s work.
After the goal, Crokes quickly forgot how to score again, racking up seven wides as Ballyboden closed the gap.
Michael MacAuley, Dara Nelson, Keaney and Andrew Kerin made it a two-point game entering the last quarter.
With 12 minutes remaining Simon Lambert reduced it to the minimum. The champions had yet again failed to slam the door behind them.
Ballyboden threw caution to the wind and the momentum began to blow in their favour.
Naughton came back on and made a huge difference in extra-time, scoring 0-4 in total on the night. But another substitute, Fermanagh’s Liam McBarron, levelled it up for Crokes before Keaney’s fist put Ballyboden back in front.
Then came scores from Kerin and Keaney again. It looked to be enough but Pat Burke and Cosgrove, back in the mix, kept Crokes clinging on, much like Ballyboden had done for the past fortnight.
The final takes place this Sunday against St Jude’s in Parnell Park at 4pm.
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S:D Walsh; C Dolan, I Clarke, M O'Sullivan; C Smith, D Kieran, D Nelson (0-2); M MacAuley (0-1), D O'Mahoney; C Hiney, D Davey, S Durkin; C Keaney (0-7, three frees), K Naughton (0-4), A Kerin (0-3, two frees). Substitutes:J O'Hara for M O'Sullivan (16 mins), P O'Brien for D Kiernan (17 mins), P Galvin for C Hiney, S Lambert (0-2) for K Naughton (both 39 mins), K Naughton for D Davey (56 mins), D Ryan for S Durkin (76 mins).
KILMACUD CROKES:D Nestor; C Lambe, K Nolan, Ross O'Carroll; B McGrath, P Griffin, C O'Sullivan; D Magee, N Corkery (0-1); P Burke (0-1), L Óg hEineachin, A Morrissey (0-2); M Vaughan (0-2), D Kelleher (0-2), R Cosgrove (1-3, one free). Substitutes:B Kavanagh for R Cosgrove (40 mins), Rory O'Carroll for C Lambe (47 mins), J Magee for D Kelleher (53 mins), L McBarron (0-1) for N Corkery (56 mins), R Cosgrove for M Vaughan (Half-time, ET)
Referee:D Feeney (Parnells).
