Kilmacud Crokes 0-11; Na Fianna 0-10
For decades, they would say in Dublin that the south side teams were soft when it came to the business end of football. However on Sunday, it was southsiders Crokes who toughed it out against a better-balanced Na Fianna from the north side outfit to emerge victorious by the slenderest of margins at Parnell Park.
In the absence of the injured Dublin star Paul Mannion, it was Galway’s Shane Walsh who proved the difference between the sides. In a game played under testing conditions, he showed glimpses of class which were enough to land four points over the hour – a considerable haul considering the paucity of scoring on the day.
Crokes are the great survivors against the odds because after emerging as winners against St Jude’s by the same margin in the penultimate stage, they again showed amazing character to come back from a point down at the break when playing below their true form.
The club is now only one step away from a unique double-double as their hurlers also face Na Fianna next Sunday in the county final.
Na Fianna settled early and well with points from Paddy Quinn and Aaron Byrne, but Robbie Brennan’s charges then edged in front with scores from the impressive Dara Mullin as well as former Dublin defender Rory O’Carroll and the elusive Walsh.
Their opponents issued a swift response to the latter score with a free from David Lacey, before Crokes wing-back Andrew McGowan and Conor McHugh traded points in a lively opening quarter.
Na Fianna led 0-7 to 0-6 at the break and looked the better team at that stage and when Walsh was forced odd for attention to a head injury, it looked like they might kick on.
Dublin defender and pocket rocket Eoin Murchan and Conor McHugh both raised white flags for Na Fianna in the third quarter; Ben Shovlin and the returning Walsh kept the holders in close proximity.
Lar Norton’s side had one Achilles heel which was shooting and this kept their opponents only a few scores behind as they entered the final strait.
It didn’t help them when Paddy Quinn was issued with a black card on 46 minutes was and ever the opportunists, Kilmacud made hay while their opponents were numerically disadvantaged. Walsh scored two class points, the energetic Craig Dias shot over his second of the day immediately afterwards and you felt they had enough scores to see out the game. He registered his second of the day to move the title holders back into the ascendancy.
Brian O’Leary got it back to the minimum six minutes into stoppage time, but as they tried for an equaliser, McHugh was dispossessed and referee Barry Tiernan blew for full time.
Creeslough Remembered In Naomh Victory
Naomh Conaill 1-9 St Eunan's 2-5
Naomh Conaill captain Kevin McGettigan put the tragedy of Creeslough before football celebrations when he paid tribute to the people of the area just before he lifted the Dr Maguire Cup in celebration. It was a class moment just as the observance of the minute’s silence beforehand was done so well by the large crowd.
A controversial moment which saw Shane O’Donnell seeing red rather softly in first-half injury time for pushing out at Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuí. There was also a little arm movement but whistler Mark Dorrian gave him his marching orders after conferring with his officials.
Losing by two points at the interval and facing a gale, the winners must have got encouragement from having a man extra -- Naomh went looking for the ball through the second 30 minutes as if their lives depended on winning it.
The gutsy style of the winners was rewarded with the first two scores of the half through Mac Ceallabhuí and Brendan McDyer but when Eoin McGeehin got in for a goal, it gave his team great heart.
It was soon as Charlie McGuinness free and then a long distance shot from McDyer raised white flags while for the losers, Niall O’Donnell’s free and a tip over from Aaron Deeney left the half time score at 1-3 to 0-4.
Naomh Conaill took over after a dodgy start and went two ahead at 1-5 to 1-3 and. Sean McVeigh opened Eunan’s second-half account after 12 minutes as McDyer found his range to maintain the cushion of two before Thompson, from a free put them three to the good.
Kevin Kealy’s goal with 10 minutes remaining put the game back into the melting pot on 1-8 to 2-5.Thompson’s point immediately after gave Conaill belief again
However substitute Conor Morrison levelled it again before Thompson, gave his side the lead with a fine score. McVeigh had a chance at the death to level it again but his shot drifted right and Naomh Conaill were the ones celebrating at the final whistle.
Dunloy To The Four
Dunloy 1-20 Cushendall 2-11
Dunloy made it four Antrim SHC titles in a row at the expense of Cushendall at Corrigan Park on a blustery Sunday.
Cushendall put it up to the champions but in the end just ran out of legs and firepower against a superior opposition.
Cushendall got a tonic start when Cormac McClafferty swept home in the first 20 second to set the county final stage alight but Dunloy are made of stern stuff and my half time had recovered to trail by only a point.
Sean McAfee managed to keep the challengers’ nose in front but then the sliotar went cold and they went scoreless for 10 minutes – a time when Dunloy found the accelerator to move three points to the good.
It was still a tense affair as the challengers failed to score before sub McMahon got in for a goal to seal the win.
‘Barrs Rule In Rebel County Again
St Finbarr’s 2-14; Blackrock 1-7
This was the first time in four decades that the old firm of St Finbarr's and Blackrock locked horns in the Cork Co final and it drew a massive crowd of 15,165 supporters to Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Despite the driving rain and swirling wind, these old Leeside royalty clubs with 58 senior titles between them, served up as good a fare as could be expected under the conditions with the Barrs ending up double score winners by 10 points in the end.
Mark O’Keefe’s goal after 11 minutes kept the Rockies in the game provided it with a goal after 11 minutes at 0-7 to 1-2.
When Alan Connolly landed a 65’ and another from open play they were back in the thick of things but then Brian Hayes stuck over a great point to put his side 0-9 to 1-5 in front.
The weather got worse on the changeover but then the afternoon light lifted when Conor Cahalane made way for Brian Hayes to flick the sliotar to the net after 37 minutes. Star man Ben Cunningham landed a ’65 and suddenly it was 1-10 to 1-6 with Connolly replying per a free.
Barrs’ second goal on 44 minutes decided the day as Cahalane again showed his pace to run through the Rockies defence and fire home to make it 2-10 to 1-6.
It was one way traffic after that as Cunningham took his personal total to 0-9 the last whistle. The club will now go in search of a hurling and football double – stoking memories of former years.
Gowna End 20-Year Famine
Gowna 2-13 Killygarry 1-09
Gowna ended a 20-year wait to win by seven points against Killygarry in the Cavan football final on Sunday.
While the standard of football was only average, the game remained interesting until sub Oisin Pierson put the gloss on victory with his side’s second goal.
Ballbay back after wilderness years
Ballybay 1-11; Scotstown 1-8
Scotstown’s dream of three in a row was buried by a Ballybay side hungry for their first win in the Monaghan SFC final for 10 years.
They were the better side in the first half when they led by three points at the half-way mark and they stretched the margin to eight within 10 minutes of the restart as star man Dessie Ward got in for the side’s only goal of the hour.
Scotstown showed their pride by kicking five of the last six scores but it was consolation to their fans without ever threatening to get back into the game.
Up Down Again For Kilcoo
Kilcoo 1-13; Cumann Pheadair Naofa 0-15
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Kilcoo made it their 11th title since 2009 when they withstood a spirited challenge into extra tie from battling Cumann Pheadair Naofa to edge home by the minimum margin in the Down SFC final in Pairc Esler on Sunday.
The Mourne representatives now face Monaghan kingpins Ballybay in the first round of the Ulster Club championship.
Kilcoo were two points up at the break as new Down supremo Conor Laverty fed an exquisite pass which sent Ryan Johnston on his way to net to goal eight mins before half-time.
There was still nothing in it at full-time with the scoreline 1-8 to 0-11 as the Magpies burst into extra-time action with a flurry of scores from Paul Devlin, Ryan Johnston, Tiernan Fettes and Eugene Branagan.
In the second period of extra-time frees meant it was a one-point game in the final minutes. Warrenpoint threw the kitchen sink to find that equalizer but the Kilcoo defence held out bravely to win again.
