Kilmacud dethrone holders

Kilmacud Crokes 2-18 St Brigid's 2-12:KILMACUD CROKES produced an inspired second-half display to dethrone St Brigid's in an absorbing Dublin football semi-final at Parnell Park yesterday.

Trailing by eight points at half-time and struggling to cope with a vibrant attacking display by St Brigid’s, Kilmacud were buoyed by two goals within the first four minutes of the second half to completely turn the game on its head.

The momentum generated by the aforementioned goals allowed Crokes to pull clear and there was little doubting their qualities as they recorded a comfortable six -point win, leaving the double of football and hurling championships still on the agenda.

The contest began with a plethora of scores as Paul Mannion opened the scoring with a first minute free and three minutes later Darren Magee had doubled Kilmacud’s advantage with a smartly-taken point on the run.

However, even at this early juncture, alarming gaps were appearing in Crokes’ star-studded defence as Paddy Andrews and Kevin Bonner restored parity by the seventh minute.

An excellent point from Barry Cahill handed the reigning holders the lead for the first time but three successive scores from Mannion, Adrian Morrissey and Mark Vaughan allowed Kilmacud to restore their two point lead.

That brief period of supremacy included a driving run from Kevin Nolan that culminated in a rising shot that Shane Supple did well to repel and that miss proved costly as a more clinical Brigid’s pounced for the game’s opening goal.

The Blanchardstown men worked the ball through to Odhran McCann and his quick pass released Craig Kilmurray who fired past David Nestor from ten yards. A second goal arrived within two minutes with Bonner’s sublime pass from 40 metres finding the unmarked Andrews close to goal and an impish finish over the onrushing Nestor was a fitting reward for an exceptional move.

Andrews increased his personal tally to 1-2 with a fine score soon after and three further points, two from Ken Darcy, left Brigid’s with an eight-point lead.

Kilmacud composed themselves sufficiently to kick the next two points through Morrissey and Mannion but a brace of points from John O’Loughlin ensured a 2-9 to 0-7 interval lead for the champions.

But Mannion kicked a glorious point to kick-start Kilmacud’s revival and a wonderful jinking run by the previously anonymous Pat Burke two minutes later ended with a crisp low finish beyond goalkeeper Supple. In the 34th minute, Cian O’Sullivan embarked on a trademark run and after attempting a pass to substitute Stephen Williams, he availed of his good fortune to hammer a low shot home to leave just the bare minimum between the sides.

Craig Dias levelled matters soon after and a succession of points from the excellent Morrissey and Mannion left Crokes with a four-point advantage by the end of the third quarter.

St Brigid’s first score of the half arrived as late as the 47th minute through a Darcy free but their chances remained alive as Cian Mullins popped over a fine score from play two minutes later.

However Kilmacud showed greater composure with Wexford man Morrissey embellishing his display with another sumptuous point after 50 minutes. Crokes got the last four points of the game a brace of excellent scores from substitute Barry O’Rorke emphasised their strength in depth.

KILMACUD CROKES: D Nestor; R Ryan, Rory O’Carroll, Ross O’Carroll; C O’Sullivan (1-0), K Nolan, B McGrath; D Magee (0-1), P Duggan; C Dias (0-1), L Óg Ó hÉineacháin, A Morrissey (0-6, two frees); P Mannion (0-6, three frees), P Burke (1-0), M Vaughan (0-1, free). Subs: M Coughlan for Ryan and S Williams (0-1) for Vaughan (h-t), C Lambe for Ross O’Carroll (51 mins), B O’Rorke (0-2) for Morrissey (58 mins), B Hanamy for Ó hÉineacháin (61 mins).

ST BRIGID’S: S Supple; M Cahill, C Freeman, G Norton; S Murray, C Moran, A Daly; J O’Loughlin (0-2), C Mullins (0-1); O McCann, B Cahill (0-2), C Kilmurray (1-0); K Darcy (0-3, two frees), K Bonner (0-1), P Andrews (1-2). Subs: G Kane for Murray (36 mins), L McCarthy (0-1, free) for McCann (47 mins), D Plunkett for Kilmurray (48 mins), P Ryan for Bonner (51 mins), G McIntyre for Mullins (53 mins).

Referee: S Gahan (Erin’s Isle)