LEINSTER SFC SEMI-FINALS Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 1-11 Navan O'Mahonys (Meath) 0-7:AFTER SURFING their luck more than a little to claim the Dublin title, Kilmacud Crokes gave evidence yesterday that they may be picking up momentum in time for next month's provincial final.
Yesterday's AIB Leinster semi-final before a small crowd of about 2,000 saw the Stillorgan club comprehensively stifle the anticipated challenge of Navan O'Mahony's and win comfortably.
The winners were most happy with their industry and commitment but there were signs of a return to form for a number of key players. Brian Kavanagh maintained recent improvement and was the key figure in a first half during which Crokes gave an object lesson in economy of effort, absorbing early pressure and making their attacks count on the scoreboard, running up 1-6 with no wides from play.
Mark Vaughan made another significant scoring contribution, kicking six points - two from play - on an afternoon when he gave a good display in general play, even if his dead-ball kicking wasn't as unerring as usual. One of the four wides was an exuberant last kick of the match from a free that the corner forward drilled towards the corner flag.
The early contrast in finishing proved the crux of the matter for O'Mahonys. The Meath champions came into the match with a strong chance of taking down their misfiring opponents but the failure to take good opportunities during the opening spell proved critical. David Bray and Paddy Smyth, both given scoring assists by adventurous corner back Niall McKeigue, gave the Navan side an early lead.
At this point Stephen Bray, the team's pivotal forward who was well-marked by Dublin's Paul Griffin, was wide with a good goal chance. At the end of the first quarter corner-forward Seán Keating saw his shot for goal blocked by another senior county player, Kevin Nolan.
Failure to take these chances - or score at all in the first half after the fifth minute - proved costly. By the time of the second chance Crokes had struck for their own goal. Kavanagh, centrally involved in his team's opening 1-5, was probably shooting for a point but when the shot dropped short Mark Davoren was on hand to rise and tip the ball into the net.
Accompanying the precise finishing was an excellent collective effort in defence. As Griffin got on top of Bray, the other backs covered and tackled well once the early scares had abated. At full back Ross O'Carroll had an exceptional match, bringing inevitable speculation that the dual player might be a possible solution for what has become a problem position for the county team. At centrefield, Meath county player Mark Ward didn't have the hoped-for impact and by half-time Kilmacud led 1-6 to 0-2 and their opponents were in trouble.
Second-half slippage has been a difficulty for the Dublin champions this season and with a strong breeze to face, they still weren't home. O'Mahonys started the second half well, kicking a couple of points and putting wide another goal chance that fell to Stephen Bray after Crokes lost possession around midfield.
However the Meath side got the margin down to four with 10 minutes to go but they couldn't withstand a late surge from the winners. Centre forward Pat Burke rattled off two points and Vaughan kicked a free to ensure the seven-point win.
"There's no doubt we were moving the ball quicker and we won the contests in most areas of the field," was the happy verdict of Crokes' manager Paddy Carr. "Work rate is fundamental at this level of football if you want to go forward and the lads showed massive, massive work rate."
Vaughan attributed much of the success to the quality of opposition his team has had to overcome in the campaign to date.
"We've had the more challenging games, including Vincent's twice and then nearly the best team in Ireland, Plunkett's (beaten in county final after a replay) - you only have to look at their forward line to see why - so with those four matches I felt we had an edge coming into this but we weren't going to say it.
"We set our target going out as work rate and to try and get the lead in the first 10 minutes with the wind. We weren't expecting them to take the lead and then all of a sudden the goal came and no better man than Davoren. He's shown it all year - I think he's had three or four from them. We kind of expect those sort of goals. We got two off Jonny (Magee) in the final."
Navan mentor Seán Barry was philosophical about the outcome. "It was a whole new experience for our lads. They haven't won a championship in Meath for 11 years and they can be proud of what they've achieved. We got two points at the start of the second half and missed a good goal chance. We could never get inside the four points and the better team won - simple as that."
KILMACUD:D Nestor; K Nolan, R O'Carroll, C Lambe; B McGrath (0-1), P Griffin, A Morrissey; D Magee, N Corkery; L McBarron, P Burke (0-2), R Cosgrove; M Vaughan (0-6, four frees), M Davoren (1-0), B Kavanagh (0-2). Subs: L Ó hEinneacháin for Cosgrove (37 mins), J Magee for Corkery (47 mins), B O'Rorke for McBarron (52 mins).
O'MAHONY'S:M Brennan; D Moran, K Reilly, N McKeigue; S O'Toole, C McGuinness, S MacGabhann; B Regan, M Ward; P Smith (0-1), S Bray (0-2), H Finnegan; D Bray (0-2, one lineball), S McKeigue, S Keating (0-1, free). Subs: G O'Brien (0-1) for Smyth (half-time), L Russell for Finnegan (46 mins), T Loughran for O'Brien (60 mins).
Referee:J Bannon (Longford).
