AUSTIN O’MALLEY hailed his Cuala side’s ability to get over the line and see off Kilmacud Crokes.
The Dalkey club had to play the closing stages with 14 men after Con O’Callaghan was sent off following a Crokes leveller.
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But O’Malley’s troops dug deep to win it in injury time through Eoin Kennedy.
And it was their first Dublin SFC title — with Robbie Brennan’s all-conquering side denied a fourth successive county crown.
O’Malley said: “I never thought the game was gone from us because we pride ourselves on staying together.
“We never lacked belief coming in here. We were sure about what we had invested in ourselves.
“Winning a title was our vision at the start of the year and before that.
“The game will test you, life will test you but it is in those moments that you have to remain believing and true to your principles.
“To a man they did that. At the end, it was our collective spirit, energy and desire to get across the line that was the glue that held us together and got us across the line.
“Delighted for the club and the group with it being our first title. You can talk as much as you want about tactics but sometimes it is the sheer desire to stay true to your values.”
Playing with a significant wind advantage in the first half, Cuala edged in front when centre half-back Charlie McMorrow curled over the bar with less than 60 seconds on the clock.
Crokes attacker Hugh Kenny and Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne proceeded to trade points in what proved to be a cagey and tentative opening.
But veteran Dublin star Michael Fitzsimons raised a massive cheer from the Cuala faithful when he split the posts in the 16th minute.
Con O’Callaghan also got in on the scoring act soon after. And while Crokes enjoyed spells of possession, Cuala found scores at relative ease.
The adventurous Fitzsimons, Luke Keating and Cal Doran knocked over unanswered scores for the Dalkey men.
Paul Mannion finally responded for Kilmacud with a fine effort off his right boot to leave his side five points adrift at the interval.
While Cuala extended their lead upon the resumption through Doran, Crokes scored successive points via Craig Dias and Shane Walsh.
But Niall O’Callaghan fired back at the opposite end.
Even though Dara Mullin and Walsh raised white flags for the title holders, Peter Duffy and Keating both pointed to leave Cuala 0-11 to 0-6 ahead moving into the closing quarter.
Doran also added to his tally with a fisted effort.
But after two points from Mannion and another from Luke Walsh, Brennan’s boys cut the gap to three.
Ward then had Crokes back on level terms moments after his introduction as a 53rd-minute substitute.
While the Stillorgan side appeared to hold the aces after King Con’s dismissal for an off-the-ball incident, swapped frees between Keating and Mannion left the tie in the melting pot.
And it looked like the teams might be inseparable when another dead-ball effort from Keating dropped short.
But Kennedy was on hand to fist over the rebound and win a first Dublin SFC crown for Cuala.
CUALA: R Scollard; D Conroy, M Fitzsimons 0-2, E O’Callaghan; E Kennedy 0-1, C McMorrow 0-1, D O’Dowd; P Ó Cofaigh Byrne 0-1, P Duffy 0-1; C Dunne, C Ó Giolláin, C Doran 0-3; L Keating 0-3, 2f, N O’Callaghan 0-1, C O’Callaghan 0-1. Subs: C Groarke for Ó Giolláin 43 mins; C Mullally for Dunne 48; M Conroy for D Conroy 57.
KILMACUD CROKES: D Burns; M Mullin, T Clancy, D O’Brien; M O’Leary, A McGowan, J Murphy; B Shovlin, R O’Carroll; H Kenny 0-1, C Dias 0-1, D Mullin 0-1; P Mannion 0-4, 1f, 1m, P O’Connor, S Walsh 0-3, 1f. Subs: C O’Connor for O’Leary 43 mins; T Fox for Kenny 45; L Ward 1-0 for O’Brien 53; O’Brien for Murphy 57; S Cunningham for O’Connor 61.
REFEREE: S McCarthy (St Vincent’s).
