GAELIC GAMES/Dublin SFC final/Kilmacud Crokes 0-11 Ballyboden St Endas 2-2: With Jonny Magee to the fore, Kilmacud Crokes captured their first county football title in six years yesterday. Despite the contest being a poor spectacle and Conal Keaney having a legitimate-looking point disallowed, the dominance of Mick Dillon's team over the whole hour received its just rewards.
Players such as Liam Óg Ó hÉineacháin and Darren Magee performed well but it was the older Magee brother who got through a mountain of work. It was extra special considering the meek manner in which he and his team-mates surrendered to St Brigid's in last year's final.
"After last year's disappointment - when a lot of lads didn't perform very well on the day, including myself - we wanted to make amends. Today we worked hard for each other and we weren't going to leave this championship behind us like we did last year," said Magee.
It was by no means classic stuff but Kilmacud had too many scoring options to be perturbed by the Ballyboden St Enda's challenge. The facts don't lie; seven of Kilmacud's players hit the target to the opposition's two.
Despite the constant efforts of Keaney, who finished with 2-1, to drag Ballyboden into the game the day belonged to Kilmacud who caused most of the damage early on. Despite rising star Mark Vaughan being more acquainted with the uprights on the day and Ray Cosgrove horribly misfiring, it was the leading lights further afield who made use of a strong wind to send Crokes in at the interval leading 0-9 to 1-1.
Jonny Magee quickly found his rhythm in midfield to land two long-range efforts that visibly lifted the whole team, while Ó hÉineacháin bagged three points from his new role at centre back.
Darren Magee was also motoring well around the middle and Liam McBarron added a brace of his own before falling badly on his ankle and having to retire at half-time.
Ballyboden did stay in touch though, with Keaney getting a goal on 11 minutes after a long ball in from Declan O'Mahony, to Andrew Kerin, caught the Crokes rearguard static.
Crokes' reaction was immediate with four points in succession, Magee's second prompting the loudest cheer from the 5,000 strong crowd.
Kerin then reduced the deficit once more but again Crokes lifted their game again with injury-time scores from Ó hÉineacháin and Mick O'Keeffe.
Such was the one-sided nature, the tensions that often come with county finals never really surfaced, although Rory Hussey did pick up a yellow card after going a few rounds with the Magee brothers. It was the only real challenge laid down by Ballyboden with only Keaney and Kerin scoring.
Into the second half and the hard-working Keaney hit a big point but Cosgrove quickly cancelled it out before a glimmer of hope finally arrived. Stephen Hiney found himself heading for goal so when three defenders smothered his run referee Shane Farrell had little option but to award a penalty which Keaney calmly slotted to the corner.
With two points in it Kenny Naughton hit a costly wide and Keaney's effort from the touchline was waved wide, much to the dual player's vexation with the umpires. Television replays seemed to support his argument. Kilmacud still struggled to close out the game with three Vaughan frees missing the target.
Thereafter the sturdy Crokes defence gave the losers few more opportunities as O'Keeffe, an able replacement for the injured McBarron, won an injury-time free which he duly converted to send Crokes into the Leinster championship, against Wicklow champions St Patrick's - and condemn Ballyboden to the unenviable double of losing both the football and hurling county finals.
Kilmacud, who supply such a large contingent to the Dublin panel, by using Ó hÉineacháin as an attacker from half back and the Magees in midfield give the new Dublin manager plenty of options when he is eventually installed.
KILMACUD CROKES: D Nelligan; F Kennedy, C Flanagan, C Kelleher (capt); P Griffin, L Óg Ó hÉineacháin (0-3), B McGrath; J Magee (0-2), D Magee; C Murphy, L McBarron (0-2), D Kelleher (0-1); M Daveron, R Cosgrove (0-1), M Vaughan. Subs: M O'Keeffe (0-2, one free) for J Magee (30-34 mins), M O'Keeffe for L McBarron (half-time), F Armstrong for D Kelleher (53 mins).
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S: S Manley; A Gardiner, D Kiernan, M O'Sullivan; E McNulty, G O'Reilly, C Dolan; D O'Mahony, I Clarke (capt); K Naughton, S Hiney, R Hussey; C Doyle, C Keaney (2-1, 1-0 pen), A Kerin (0-1). Subs: C Smyth for I Clarke (35 mins); N Clarke for C Dolan (38 mins); B O'Regan for C Doyle (47 mins); A Brennan for S Hiney (58 mins).
Referee: S Farrell (St Patricks, Donabate).
