Kilmacud Crokes claim victory over Skerries Harps and progress into the Quarter Finals

Image courtesy Eamon O'Callaghan

KILMACUD CROKES 1-17  

SKERRIES HARPS 0-17 

Kilmacud Crokes withstood a late Skerries Harps onslaught to prevail by three points in their Go Ahead Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship Group 2 encounter at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.

In doing so, the holders completed their third successive group win to clinch top spot but they were pushed all the way by a Harps team that were unfortunate in some respects not to take anything from the game.

However, Crokes were not to be denied with Shane Walsh and Paul Mannion combining for twelve points while Hugh Kenny pounced for the game’s solitary goal approaching the turnaround.

After a scoreless opening five minutes, we were treated to a glut of points for the remainder of the first-quarter as Shane Walsh and Shane Cunningham popped over scores in quick succession.

Harps replied through Jack Smith and Ethan Dunne by the 8^th minute with the lively Cunningham and Paul Mannion kicking excellent points to restore their team’s two-point advantage.

However, their opponents began to gain a firmer foothold at centrefield as they once again restored parity thanks to successive scores by Greg McEneaney and Harry Dawson, points of the highest calibre.

Skerries continued to frustrate an out-of-sorts Crokes side, depriving them of possession, and they also retained a threat at the opposite end of the field, as reflected by further points from McEneaney and Killian McGinnis (free).

Another placed ball from McGinnis in the 19^th minute stretched the Skerries lead to a deserved three point margin but inside ninety seconds, Kilmacud highlighted their inherent quality as they kicked three points on the bounce through Mark O’Leary, Mannion and Walsh to draw level.

McGinnis and Walsh traded points as the half evolved before Crokes pounced for the game’s opening goal in the 27^th minute as Hugh Kenny calmly slotted home after James Murphy had made a timely incision down the Harps central corridor.

The final score of the half belonged to Mannion, a trademark booming point from distance as Crokes entered the break with a flattering 1-9 to 0-9 lead.

The third quarter failed to sparkle as Crokes gradually put further distance between the teams through the free-taking of Mannion and Walsh with Harps remaining in touch through excellent solo scores from Adam Fearon and Eoghan McGinley.

Substitute Liam Flatman could well have netted for Crokes but struck the butt of the upright in the 49^th minute with McGinnis firing over a glorious point soon after to raise hopes of a Skerries comeback.

Walsh popped over two scores to keep Skerries at arm’s length and despite Skerries scoring the last three points of the game through McGinnis, Fearon and Stephen Smith, the goal required to complete their comeback proved elusive despite some late pressure on the Crokes defence.

Scorers – Kilmacud Crokes: S Walsh 0-7 (3f), P Mannion 0-5 (2f), S Cunningham 0-3, H Kenny 1-0, M O’Leary, A McGowan 0-1 apiece. Skerries Harps: K McGinnis 0-6 (5f), A Fearon, J Smith, S Smith (2f), G McEneaney 0-2 each, H Dawson, E Dunne, E McGinley 0-1 apiece.

Kilmacud Crokes: C Ferris; J Murphy, T Clancy, D O’Brien; A Fox, A McGowan, A Jones; M O’Leary, R O’Carroll; S Horan, S Cunningham, C O’Connor; P Mannion, S Walsh, H Kenny. Subs: L Flatman for Jones (42), J Kenny for Horan (54), P Purcell for A Fox (54), T Fox for Cunningham (59).

Skerries Harps: S Rice; F O’Leary, R Geoghegan, A El Shamy; A Fearon, E O’Connor Flanagan, J Smith; K McGinnis, E Dunne; R McKey, E McGinley, G McEneaney; H Dawson, C Murphy, S Smith. Subs: E Wilde for McEneaney (29), R Clinton for El Shamy (43), E Smith for Murphy (43), McEneaney for McKey (48).

Referee: Colm McCarthy (St Vincent’s)