Picture Courtesy Conor Ryan
NA FIANNA 3-16
KILMACUD CROKES 2-18
Ciarán Stacey proved the hero for Na Fianna with his goal deep into added time sealing a precious one-point victory over Kilmacud Crokes in their thrilling Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship decider at Parnell Park on Saturday evening.
The teams have built up a healthy rivalry in recent years, delivering epic finals in both 2021 and 2022, while Na Fianna ended Kilmacud’s 3-in-a-row ambitions last year when beating them at the quarter-final stage.
It would have been greedy to expect another absorbing encounter but the teams delivered on that front once again as Stacey poked home from close range after Paul O’Dea had followed up on a Jonno Tracey free.
Crokes entered the break with a deserved 1-14 to 1-9 advantage as David Purcell’s 14th minute goal was cancelled out by full-back Conor McHugh a minute before the interval.
While Dónal Burke’s penalty in the 36th minute helped Na Fianna to restore parity, they looked in trouble as Oisín O’Rorke netted seven minutes later.
However, we should have known there was one final twist to arrive with Na Fianna defending their crown is the most dramatic of fashions.
Crokes started impressively, despite falling behind to a cracking sideline by Gavin King within forty seconds and they pulled three points clear by the 4th minute following scores from Conal Ó Riain, Fergal Whitely, Ronan hayes and Oisín O’Rorke.
The procession towards the Na Fianna goal continued unabated with both Hayes and O’Rorke doubling their tallies and a Dara Purcell score in the 9th minute stretched their lead to six points.
A Colin Currie point soon after helped settle the holders and they began to finally trouble Crokes at the back, as reflected in scores by late addition Jack Meagher and AJ Murphy.
Just as they were finding their stride, they suffered a reverse in the 14th minute as David Purecell gathered possession by the sideline before embarking on a powerful run that culminated in an emphatic finish beyond Jonno Tracey.
Ó Riain added a brace of points in quick succession to cement Kilmacud’s position of control but they remained vulnerable to pace at the back as Murphy show wide when released by the lively Ciaran Stacey.
However, another Stacey run down the middle in the 29th minute had the desired result as full-back Conor McHugh timed his run perfectly and while he fumbled the ball initially, he recovered to pull powerfully past the unsighted Eddie Gibbons.
Na Fianna took little time in reducing their arrears further as Brian Ryan popped over his customary score with O’Rorke replying at the opposite end for an increasingly insecure Crokes side.
Those deficiencies were evident in the 36th minute as Dónal Burke gathered possession all too easily and after been hauled down close to goal, Burke calmly sent Gibbons the wrong way from the resultant penalty.
With Colin Currie and Paul O’Dea tagging on points soon after, the sides were back on level terms by the 42nd minute with Kilmacud in dire need of some inspiration at this juncture.
It duly arrived through O’Rorke, who turned sharply past McHugh before unleashing a cracking shot that rippled the roof of Tracey’s net.
Points from O’Rorke and Ó Riain looked to have handed Crokes a sufficient lead entering added time but there was one last twist in the tale as Stacey popped up at the back post to complete an admirable comeback by the Glasnevin outfit.
Scorers – Na Fianna: C Currie 0-7 (4f, 1 ’65); C McHugh, C Stacey, D Burke (pen) 1-0 each; P O’Dea, B Ryan, J Meagher 0-2 each; S Currie, AJ Murphy, G King (sideline) 0-1 apiece. Kilmacud Crokes: O O’Rorke 1-7 (0-4f); C Ó Riain 0-4; David Purcell 1-0; B Hayes, Dara Purcell, R Hayes 0-2 each; F Whitely 0-1.
Na Fianna: J Tracey; S Burke, C McHugh, K Burke; P O’Dea, L Rushe, P Feeney; B Ryan, S Currie; J Meagher, C Currie, C Stacey; AJ Murphy, D Burke, G King. Subs: J Kavanagh for King (41), D Clerkin for Ryan (51), S Barrett for Murphy (57).
Kilmacud Crokes: E Gibbons; B Kenny, B Sheehy, D Lucey; C Ó Cathasaigh, C Mac Gabhann, M Grogan; B Hayes, Dara Purcell; F Whitely, O O’Rorke, C Conway; David Purcell, R Hayes, C Ó Riain. Subs: P Linehan for Mac Gabhann (34), M Roche for Conway (45).
Referee: Seán Stack (Parnell’s).
