DUBLIN SFC Semi-final Replay Kilmacud Crokes 2-11 St Vincent's1-7:MARK VAUGHAN has a tendency to swing from the sublime to the ridiculous without prediction, and yesterday's swing towards the sublime was immaculately timed.
His almost faultless display of placed-ball kicking was the platform to send Kilmacud Crokes into the Dublin football final and, in the process, end the interest of the reigning county, provincial and All-Ireland champions St Vincent's.
Pat Burke and Mark Davoren provided the finishing touches to their victory with a goal in each half, and the truth is St Vincent's looked tired and apathetic compared to their unstoppable drive of the previous 18 months or so.
Yet having saved Crokes in the drawn match last Monday, there was no denying Vaughan the headline act yesterday with his nine-point contribution - including two beautiful scores from play.
There is always something poignant about the exit of the reigning All-Ireland champions, and St Vincent's won't like going out like this. They clearly couldn't lift themselves again after Monday's draw, and that's always understandable for a team that's been on the road for so long. Yet it was still a mostly poor and deflating performance for the club of new Dublin manager Pat Gilroy.
Crokes, however, won't have much time to savour their victory as they're back in Parnell Park on Thursday evening for the final against St Oliver Plunkett's/ Eoghan Ruadh, and if they perform the way they did here, Crokes must be fancied to win that too.
They commanded the game for long periods and were unquestionably the better team on the day as St Vincent's failed on practically all counts to live up to the status as the best club team in the country.
There were a few exceptions. Tomás Quinn certainly did his part with 1-6, but he also sent a first-half penalty well over the crossbar when St Vincent's looked to be sneaking back into it. With defender Pat Kelly their only other scorer on the day they simply lacked the firepower to truly threaten Crokes, and they won't need reminding that they clearly missed the talents of the suspended Diarmuid Connolly.
Still, St Vincent's had it down to a two-point game midway through the second half, having trailed Crokes from early on and by as much as seven points. Quinn had started the comeback late in the first half, and then made up for his fluffed penalty on 35 minutes when he slotted home their only goal from close range, latching on to a long, high ball from Kevin Golden.
When Kelly and then Quinn quickly added to that goal with a point each, they suddenly had Crokes within reach again - 1-8 to 1-6. Yet that was as close as they got. They fell back into the trap of conceding too many frees in front of goal, most of which Vaughan was only too happy to cannonball straight between the posts.
He sent over two such frees in quick succession to restore a four-point cushion for Crokes, who were finding it far easier to win and market ball through the likes of Brian Kavanagh, Darren Magee and Ross O'Carroll.
Vaughan briefly threatened to undo all his hard work when he then inexplicably missed two placed balls in succession, but he amended for that on 55 minutes with the last of his 0-9 contribution. Quinn was also having problems at the other end and likewise sent a placed ball wide when it would have been easier to send it over, and with that St Vincent's were cooked.
All that was left was for Davoren to produce a Roman candle of an ending with the second Crokes goal: Kavanagh gets some of the credit as his shot first jettisoned off the uprights, yet Davoren produced the brilliance in finishing it by volleying the rebound straight into the net with his left boot.
It was a deserved ending for the southside club who will go into Thursday's final with every chance of regaining the title after just a two-year absence.
They had the hunger to win ball and moved it well throughout, reflected in their first goal on 19 minutes. Kavanagh stole the ball from Timmy Doyle and quickly passed off to O'Carroll, who then set up Burke for the finish.
That summed up the difference between the teams: Crokes' desire and ability when on the ball, and the problems St Vincent's had to even hold on to it.
St Vincent's went a full 24 minutes between their first and second point, and when Quinn misjudged his penalty shortly after that, it was obvious the champions were in trouble. Last year, they might have found a way out of it, but not this time.
KILMACUD CROKES:D Nestor; K Nolan, P Griffin, N McGrath; B McGrath, C O'Sullivan, A Morrissey; D Magee, P Duggan; P Burke (1-0), L McBarron (0-1), M Vaughan (0-9, 6f, one 45); R O'Carroll, M Davoren (1-1), B Kavanagh. Subs: N Corkery for McBarron (37 mins), J Magee for Burke (53 mins).
ST VINCENT'S:M Savage; P Conlon, E Brady, H Gill; T Doyle, G Brennan, P Kelly (0-1); H Coughlan, M Loftus; K Golden, N Dunne, W Lowry; B Maloney, A O'Malley, T Quinn (1-6, 3f, one penalty). Subs: T Diamond for Dunne (28 mins), R Fallon for Doyle (43 mins), C Brady for Coughlan (54 mins).
Referee:P Power (Parnells).
