Rock leads Ballymun to glory

Ballymun Kickhams 1-12 Kilmacud Crokes 0-14:BACK IN 1985 was the last time the people of Ballymun could say they were Dublin champions. It was a time when their favourite son was a man named Rock. Last night, Dean Rock, son of former Dublin star Barney, posted 0-7.

But that’s only half the story.

For Ballymun to have any chance against a Kilmacud team littered with players in possession of every possible club medal Gaelic football has to offer, they needed all their marquee players to outshine these more feted opponents.

This was certainly the case in the opening 30 minutes and down the home straight, when Crokes were breathing down their necks.

It started at the back. Marshalled by Dublin regular Philly McMahon, the Kickhams defence harassed every purple jersey that came near their posts.

The athleticism and quick delivery of Craig Dias was a constant menace, as was the composure and sheer quality of 19-year-old Paul Mannion. But that pair aside, it was the intense work of Ballymun men, like Alan Hubbard, which caught the eye.

Once they hustled a turnover, more often than not, it was Jason Whelan streaking onto the ball, glancing up to see what patch of grass Rock or Ted Furman had dragged Rory O’Carroll or Cian O’Sullivan out to.

Crokes looked very shaky in the opening exchanges, with Rock and Furman both going agonisingly close to raising green flags.

They settled for a point apiece with Mannion responding down the other end with a brilliant individual score.

But Kilmacud were floored by the ferocity of the next Ballymun assault. As Kevin Leahy’s long-range shot dropped short, Shane Forde outjumped Crokes goalkeeper David Nestor and punched the ball into the net.

Dias continued to find Mannion but it was Ballymun who accelerated away with further scores from Rock, a Herculean 45, and Leahy after fine running by James McCarthy, before Rock again profited from the constant nuisance to Crokes that Whelan had become.

The scoreline read 1-6 to 0-3 until Ballymun dozed off, offering up sloppy scores for Dias and Kevin Nolan.

But Rock was a man possessed, landing two more before the turn, both born from turnovers.

The Crokes think-tank made a dramatic change at the interval as captain Adrian Morrissey made way for Declan Kelleher. The forward line immediately reacted with Pat Burke landing three points to reduce arrears to a goal.

Crokes started to control possession with Cian O’Sullivan scooping up every scrap as even Rock missed the target. Then Furman registered a third wide in as many minutes. Another Burke intervention, his fourth point from four shots, made it a two-point game entering the last quarter.

But Rock instantly responded, rediscovering his mojo with a fine strike. Hugh Kenny made another big call, introducing former Dublin underage stars Mark Vaughan and Barry O’Rorke to the attack. Vaughan had an immediate impact, drawing a free off John Small, who was yellow carded, and belting it over the bar before getting himself booked for something off the ball.

But the closest the 2010 champions could get was two points. Whelan saw to that. The 23-year-old had a night to remember with two late scores followed by a free from Barney’s son with four minutes left. It wasn’t over. Vaughan landed two more, one an astonishingly good shot from wide on the left. Predictably, Crokes flooded forward with Kelleher reducing it to the minimum.

But this night belonged to Kickhams. The song at the end was simple, intimidating and loud, Go on the Ballymun.

BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: S Currie; E Dolan, P McMahon, E Dolan; A Hubbard, K Connolly, J Burke; J McCarthy, D Byrne; E Reilly, K Leahy (0-1), J Whelan (0-3); T Furman (0-1), D Rock (0-7, two frees, 45), S Forde (1-0). Subs: D Byrne for S Forde (half-time), J Small for E Dolan (45 mins), A O’Brien for K Leahy (54).

KILMACUD CROKES: D Nestor; Ross O’Carroll, Rory O’Carroll, C O’Sullivan; M Coughlan, B McGrath, K Nolan (0-1); D Magee, P Duggan; L Óg Ó hÉineacháin, C Dias (0-1), A Morrissey; S Williams, P Mannion (0-4, one free), P Burke (0-4). Subs: R Ryan for M Coughlan (half-time), D Kelleher (0-1) for D Magee (7-11 mins) and for A Morrissey (ht), M Vaughan (0-3, two frees) for S Williams, B O’Rorke for L Óg Ó hÉineacháin (both 47 minutes), E Culligan for B McGrath (56 mins).

Referee: S Gahan (Erin’s Isle).