All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship: Watty Graham’s Glen 1-9 Kilmacud Crokes 1-11
KILMACUD goalkeeper Conor Ferris denied Conor Glass a match-winning injury-time goal as the Dubliners denied Glen at the death of a thrilling All-Ireland final.
Glen bossed the first quarter with a Danny Tallon goal but Kilmacud led by a point at the break after dominating the remainder of the half.
The lead swung one way, then the other throughout a nail-biting second half before the Leinster champions pulled away at the death and Ferris, who was bitterly disappointed after Kilcoo’s Jerome Johnston beat him in the dying seconds of last year’s final, was the hero at the finish.
Glen had the ball in his net after just 34 seconds. Jack Doherty made ground through the middle and played an inch-perfect ball to Danny Tallon who sold a dummy, then held off his marker and cracked a swerving finish past Conor Ferris.
Alex Doherty added a point after Paul Mannion – passed fit to start – shot wide but Craig Dias did open the Dubliner’s account from midfield.
Then Ethan Doherty, showing a cool head under pressure, was rewarded with a free after his ambitious run was stopped illegally. Tallon swept it over the bar and Glen led 1-2 to 0-1.
Kilmacud full-forward Dara Mullin cut the deficit to three but then Galway native Shane Walsh, picked up by Cathal Mulholland, dropped a simple free short at the Hill 16 end.
Mannion had his head in his hands after he kicked a second wide but Glen had no such issues and Emmet Bradley gave them what appeared to be a commanding lead 15 minutes into the game when he turned and spilt the posts.
But it only ‘appeared’ so and the game changed when Shane Cunningham broke down the left. He had the legs on Ryan Dougan and cut inside and shaped to pull the trigger. Dougan pulled him back, Derek O’Mahoney awarded a definite penalty and Walsh tucked it away.
Mullin added a point and after 19 minutes there was just one in it (1-3 to 1-2) and it was level on 25 minutes when Mannion cut into the Glen rearguard and Cunningham scored after a smart supporting run.
The Dubliners were moving well now and it was the lesser-known Mullin (in comparison to Mannion and Walsh) who was making them tick.
Dan O’Brien’s point sent them ahead for the first time but Mannion missed a simple free to double their advantage and a Dias shot drifted wide as the half-time whistle blew.
The break came at a bad time for Kilmacud who, after trailing by five, were leading by a point and controlling the pace of the game. Glen’s players went into a huddle in need of a reset for the second half.
Kilmacud temporarily took up where they’d left off. Goalkeeper Ferris picked out Hugh Kenny who spotted the run of Andrew McGowan who slipped it to Aidan Jones. Glen goalkeeper Connlan Bradley was quickly off his line and blocked the goal-bound shot.
Walsh sent the 45 sailing over the bar however and it was 1-5 to 1-3 to last year’s losing finalists.
At the other end, Tallon played in Ethan Doherty who earned another free for his side. Tallon curled it over to leave one in it.
Glen worked hard. Bradley was back in his full-back line to shut the door on O’Brien and an Alex Doherty mark meant it was all-square (1-5 apiece) after 40 minutes and the Glen hordes roared when Tallon took Jack Doherty’s ball and fisted it over the bar.
“Glen, Glen, Glen…,” roared the crowd and the noise went up a few decibels when Jack Doherty rampaged through the middle and added another.
Walsh missed another easy chance for the Crokes but Mannion did get his first score (just about) when his free sneaked in off the post and then Cunningham levelled again with his second score.
Glass, putting in a good shift despite a recent bout of tonsillitis, played in Eunan Mulholland and when he was dragged down, Bradley hammered over the free left-footed and Glen led again.
Mulholland was the creator again a minute later, this time Conleth McGuckian benefited from his hard work.
Mullin cancelled it out but Glen then had the chance to seize control of the game. Jack Doherty’s ball sent Stevie O’Hara through one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He jinked one way and created space for a shot but slipped at the vital second and the opportunity was lost.
Walsh’s free left it level again as the final 10 minutes began and Glen created another goal chance (a half-chance) for Ethan Doherty but he was closed down before he could shoot.
Kilmacud sub Cian O’Connor’s point left Glen one behind with time running out. They probed for an equaliser but Kilmacud won the ball and, after Mullin broke, Walsh nailed a free to leave two in it.
A minute remained of injury-time, the ball came into the square and broke to Glass. His shot was bound for the corner but Ferris dived full length and saved with his fingertips.
The 45 was played short. McGuckian got on it and cracked in another shot. The Glen fans in the Cusack roared, they thought it had gone in but it had whistled wide and Kilmacud were crowned All-Ireland champions.
Watty Graham’s Glen: C Bradley; C Mulholland, R Dougan, C Carville; T Flannagan, M Warnock, E Mulholland; C Glass, E Bradley (0-1); E Doherty (0-1), J Doherty (0-1), C Convery; A Doherty (0-2, 0-1 mark), D Tallon (1-3, 0-2 frees), C McGuckian (0-1)
Subs: S O’Hara for Convery (37), P Gunning for A Doherty (69)
Yellow cards: Tallon (69), McGuckian (70)
Kilmacud Crokes: C Ferris; M Mullin, T Clancy, D O’Brien (0-1); A McGowan, R O’Carroll, A Jones; B Shovlin, C Dias (0-1); C O’Shea, S Cunningham (0-2), P Mannion (0-1 free); H Kenny, D Mullin (0-3), S Walsh (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees, 0-1 45)
Subs: C O’Connor (0-1) for Kenny (47), S Horan for Jones (50), L Ward for Cunningham (57), T Fox for Mannion (70), C Casey for Mullin (70)
Yellow card: Dias (53)
Referee: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary)
Attendance: 22,890
