Crokes see off stern Castleknock challenge in SFC1 (Group 4)

DUBLIN SFC1 GROUP 4 ROUND 3

KILMACUD CROKES 1-11 CASTLEKNOCK 0-12

Kilmacud Crokes edged out Castleknock in a brilliantly contested battle to maintain their 100 per cent record in the Dublin SFC1 Group 4 at Parnell Park on Sunday.

The Dublin 15 side were left to rue a number of missed opportunities over the hour-plus as well as a slow start at the Donnycarney venue as Crokes advance to face St Vincent's in their quarter-final.

The lively Dan O'Brien opened the scoring for Crokes within 90 seconds and two minutes later Dara Mullin got the final touch from very close range to raise a green flag after Hugh Kenny firstly had his shot well saved by Morven Connolly but Conor Kinsella followed up with his half-volley looking like it would have made the net anyway with Mullin making sure.

Dan O'Brien extended Crokes lead with a point of his less favoured left foot, the second of his four points from play, to make it 1-2 to 0-0 inside six minutes.

Ciarán Kilkenny then took centre stage for Castleknock, and with Crokes struggling off their own kickout, dominated the following ten minutes during which he kicked four excellent points from play with the impressive Tommy McDaniel also contributing a score to bring the sides level just before the 16th minute water-break.

Castleknock frustrated the Crokes attack during this spell with Rob Shaw doing well at full-back on Dara Mullin, one of Crokes most impressive operators to date in the competition, and as a result Crokes were somewhat stifled.

After the water-break Crokes emerged determined with Paul Mannion converting two frees, following fouls on Conor Casey and Cian O'Connor, before Dara Mullin pointed a free from the left flank, after Paul Mannion had been fouled off the ball, and when Mullin showed great acceleration before pointing it was 1-6 to 0-5 to the Stillorgan men.

Before the break Tommy McDaniel kicked two points, the first a mark from a great delivery from Shane Boland, with Dara Mullin firing over in between for Crokes after Conor Kinsella had hit the crossbar for Kilmacud to lead 1-7 to 0-7 at the break.

Castleknock though had kicked eight wides, Crokes none, and they were to prove costly in the long run.

The pace levels were maintained early in the second half before it dropped off in the final minutes with Dan O'Brien kicking over for Crokes just 24 seconds after the restart.

But Castleknock had the better of the next five minutes with points from the pacey Séamus O'Carroll, McDaniel and O'Carroll again following good work from Eoin O'Brien - in between Hugh Kenny had fisted over for Crokes following a clever slide-rule pass from Mannion.

Dan O'Brien's fourth point from play in the 39th minute put the clear goal in it, 1-9 to 0-9. The hard-working Conor Casey kicked a point to stretch Crokes lead after Morven Connolly, the Castleknock keeper, had performed his duties well to sprint off his line to deny O'Brien a goal-scoring opportunity.

Séamus O'Carroll had a goal chance but was denied by Conor Ferris approaching the three-quarter mark. But Castleknock pressed on with points from Gerard McDermottroe (free) and Rob Shaw, from long range, cutting the deficit to two points.

For the concluding ten-plus minutes the Dublin 15 side had an extra man following the black-carding of sub Liam Flatman but they couldn't make it count on the scoreboard, while holding Kilmacud scoreless for the last 18 minutes, as Crokes make it three wins from three starts in the group.

SCORERS – Kilmacud Crokes: D Mullin 1-3 (0-1f), D O’Brien 0-4, P Mannion 0-2 (0-2f), C Casey, H Kenny 0-1 each. Castleknock: C Kilkenny, T McDaniel 0-4 each, S O’Carroll 0-2, R Shaw, G McDermottroe (0-1f) 0-1 each.

KILMACUD CROKES: C Ferris; M Mullin, R O’Carroll, R McGowan; C O’Connor, C O’Sullivan, A McGowan; C Dias, C Casey; S Horan, D O’Brien, C Kinsella; H Kenny, D Mullin, P Mannion. Subs: L Flatman for R McGowan (44), P Purcell for Horan (46), C Pearson for Kenny (57), N O’Leary for Kinsella (60).

CASTLEKNOCK: M Connolly; C Murphy, R Shaw, E O’Brien; J Tolan, T Quinn, P Bourke; D Warnock, J Sherry; S O’Carroll, C Kilkenny, S Boland; T McDaniel, G McDermottroe, C Chawke. Subs: B Galvin for Chawke (ht), K Kindlon for McDermottroe (48), K Stephenson for Sherry (53).

REF: D O’Connor (Naomh Mearnóg).