Crokes topple Ballyboden

KILMACUD CROKES 1-14 BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S 0-9

Kilmacud Crokes dethroned champions of last year Ballyboden St Enda's in an entertaining Dublin SFC second round duel in Parnell Park on Saturday evening.

Crokes came with a storming final quarter to score eight unanswered points as they moved up a gear after Boden looked to be establishing a strong foothold in the game.

Boden were left to rue a number of goal-scoring chances with David Nestor defying both Andrew Kerin in the first half and Darragh Nelson in the second while Ross O'Carroll also made one brilliant goalline full length save to keep out Alan Flood's shot in the 59th minute.

If Nestor was the hero at one end up front Paul Mannion and Mark Vaughan led the way.

Boden led 0-5 to 0-3 following a Conal Keaney point before Mannion struck for the only goal of the game in the 26th minute when he superbly lifted the ball soccer style over the head of the advancing Darragh Gogan.

A point from Callum Pearson off his left had Crokes suddenly 1-4 to 0-5 clear before Andrew Kerin's free left just the minimum between the sides at the break.

Mannion and Vaughan added frees on the restart and Vaughan's deadball expertise proved to be a real weapon for Kilmacud throughout the game.

Boden then enjoyed their best spell and they began to combine with greater fluency.

Conal Keaney pointed from play and then a free before sub Barra McGarry made an immediate impact with a fine point from play bring parity 0-9 to 1-6 by the 45th minute.

But then came the Crokes power surge.

Driven on by their energetic half-back line and with Mannion and Vaughan impressing up front Crokes hit eight points in-a-row to book their berth in the last-eight.

SCORERS – Kilmacud Crokes: M Vaughan 0-8 (0-4f, 0-2 ’45'), P Mannion 1-2 (0-1f), C O’Shea, A Jones, A McGowan, C Pearson 0-1 each. Ballyboden St Enda's: C Keaney 0-4 (0-2f), A Kerin 0-2 (0-2f), C Basquel, D O’Mahony, B McGarry 0-1 each.

KILMACUD CROKES: D Nestor; J Murphy, R O’Carroll, A McGowan; A Jones, R McGowan, C O’Shea; C Dias, D Campbell; T Fox, P Mannion, C Pearson; M Vaughan, B Kavanagh, S Cunningham. Subs: P Burke for Kavanagh (43), C O’Connor for Fox (44), C Casey for Jones (51), D Magee for Campbell (54), R Ryan for Pearson (59), S Horan for Cunningham (61).

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: D Gogan; S Clayton, S Hiney, R McDaid; C Flaherty, D Nelson, S Durkin; D O’Mahoney, MD Macauley; D O’Reilly, C Basquel, A Waters; R Basquel, C Keaney, A Kerin. Subs: A Flood for Kerin (40), B McGarry for O’Reilly (40), S Moloney for R Basquel (55), D McCabe for Macauley (62).

REF: D Sheppard (Round Towers, Lusk)