Dublin SHC Final

Kilmacud Crokes 4-26 Na Fianna 2-25

By Paul Keane at Parnell Park

Ronan Hayes showed remarkable courage to power Kilmacud Crokes to a memorable Dublin SHC title success at Parnell Park, the Stillorgan men eventually claiming the honours after extra-time.

Dublin forward Hayes must have feared that his miscued penalty attempt in the 55th minute, when Crokes trailed by seven points, would prove costly but he finally found the net five minutes into stoppage time to level it after a thrilling comeback and force extra-time.

Crokes outscored first time finalists Na Fianna by 0-8 to 0-1 in the additional 20 minutes and a rejuvenated Hayes accounted for six of those scores as the southside outfit claimed their first title since 2014 and their sixth overall.

Coming from nine points down to win by seven represented a whopping 16-point swing on the scoreboard and helped the side managed by Kieran Dowling and Donal McGovern to erase some of the hurt of their final defeats in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

They will return to action on November 28 when they play Raharney of Westmeath in the AIB Leinster club SHC in Mullingar.

But it was heartbreak for Na Fianna who were superbly led by Dublin duo Donal Burke and Sean Currie as they chased a maiden title.

They will kick themselves for not finishing it off in normal time as they led by 2-23 to 1-17 when Burke stroked home a goal from the ground in the 51st minute.

They'd led at half-time, by 1-15 to 1-11, and at both water breaks and it seemed a done deal that they would go on to finally land the county title the club craves.

Burke and Currie were terrific up to that point with 2-15 between them, Currie striking seven of his eight points from open play and the other from a sideline cut.

With Liam Rushe planted at the centre of their defence, they looked a formidable unit and the former St Pat's, Palmerstown hurler bombed forward for a point in the third quarter as Na Fianna turned the screw.

Colin Currie, AJ Murphy and Paul O'Dea pointed too as the side managed by Niall O Ceallachain positioned itself on the cusp of a famous win.

They couldn't finish it off though, in normal time at least, with Crokes launching their remarkable late revival with a 52nd minute Fergal Whitely goal.

Crokes threw the kitchen sink at Na Fianna in the search of a third but when Hayes skewed a penalty attempt badly wide in the 55th minute and Alex Considine rippled the side-netting in the 58th minute, it looked as if it wasn't to be their evening.

They refused to throw in the towel though and Oisin O'Rorke blasted to the net after a great run by the influential Davy Crowe and then, deep into stoppage time, Hayes made amends for his earlier miss by lashing to the net after being set up by Padhraic Linehan.

It levelled the scores at 4-18 to 2-24 and while Donal Burke engineered a parcel of space to shoot for a point in the 66th minute, he couldn't convert and extra-time followed.

Crokes were surprisingly comfortable winners in the end, Hayes picking off point after point in the extra 20 minutes and only defender Kevin Burke scoring for Na Fianna.

Scorers for Kilmacud Crokes: Ronan Hayes 1-14 (0-8f, 0-1 65), Oisin O'Rorke 1-3, Fergal Whitely 1-1, Alex Considine 1-1, Caolan Conway 0-3, Lorcan McMullan 0-2, Dara Purcell 0-1, Davy Crowe 0-1.

Scorers for Na Fianna: Donal Burke 2-7 (1-0pen, 0-6f), Sean Currie 0-8 (0-1 s/l), Micheal Murphy 0-2, AJ Murphy 0-2, Peter Feeney 0-1, Shane Barrett 0-1, Paul O'Dea 0-1, Liam Rushe 0-1, Colin Currie 0-1, Kevin Burke 0-1.

Kilmacud Crokes: Eddie Gibbons; Bill O'Carroll, Davy Crowe, Brian Sheehy; Cian MacGabhann, Mark Grogan, Padhraic Linehan; Lorcan McMullan, Dillon Mulligan; Caolan Conway, Fergal Whitely, Dara Purcell; Oisin O'Rorke, Ronan Hayes, Alex Considine.

Subs: Marc Howard for Purcell 42, Shane Veale for Conway 47, Cian O Cathasaigh for MacGabhann 50. Jamie Clinton for O'Carroll e/t, Purcell for Whitely h/t e/tJames Dillon for Considine 76.

Na Fianna: Jonathan Treacy; Sean Burke, Kevin Burke, Sean Baxter; Feargal Breathnach; Donal Ryan, Liam Rushe, Paul O'Dea; Peter Feeney, Micheal Murphy; Sean Currie, Donal Burke, Shane Barrett; AJ Murphy, Colin Currie.

Subs: Conor McHugh for Baxter 41, Mairtin Quilty for Feeney 50, Conor Kelly for Sean Burke 50, Eoghan McHugh for AJ Murphy 57, Hugh Fenlon for O'Dea 62. Kieran Murphy for Micheal Murphy 67, Sean Ryan for Colin Currie 70,

Referee: Chris Mooney.