Kilmacud Crokes 2-15 Raheny 2-15 (Crokes win 5-4 on penalties)
Kilmacud Crokes are through to their third consecutive Dublin SFC final, but only after surviving an almighty test from a Raheny side that just wouldn’t give up.
Crokes had looked dead and buried in normal time, trailing by three points with three minutes of injury-time having elapsed.
But they showed the composure of champions to work the ball up the field in the dying seconds, before creating an opportunity which their young sub Luke Ward finished sublimely.
That sent the game to extra-time where Robbie Brennan’s side dominated possession, but they were pegged back by a goal from Cian Ivers and a brilliant late point from Darren Lunney, who showed nerves of steel to send the game to a penalty shoot-out.
Raheny’s Sean Grenham was the only one of the ten penalty-takers to miss his effort, the full forward blazing over the cross-bar.
Kilmacud’s Shane Horan then slotted the winning penalty to keep his side’s dreams of a three-in-a-row alive.
A trademark score from Paul Mannion here for @KCrokesGAAClub in what has been a very even opening 20 minutes with both sides on level scores!
Watch the game live here! ⬇️https://t.co/JIsSdwODxO #GoAheadDSC pic.twitter.com/1KUmdE57N4
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) October 7, 2023
Over the course of the last three seasons, Kilmacud have rarely if ever been subjected to such a test however. Brian Fenton was simply outstanding for Paul Dempsey’s side, the midfielder linking up to great effect with goalkeeper Robbie Hennelly, who transferred from Breaffy at the start of the year.
Darren Lunney was also on top form for the men from the north of the county, nailing a second half penalty which really put the skids under the champions. But while a number of questions were asked, they kept on coming back with the answers.
Paul Mannion led the team throughout with his typically ferocious tackling, while his late free in extra-time, having won said free himself, was nerveless. You can watch it from 1.57.30 in the stream below.
Darren Lunney did brilliantly to reply, sending the game to penalty shoot-out, but that was where the Stillorgan side survived one final test. They will face either Ballyboden or St Jude’s in the final in a fortnight’s time.
We're underway here at Parnell Park in the Go-Ahead Senior 1 Football Semi Final between @KCrokesGAAClub and @RahenyGAA!
Watch the game live here! ⬇️https://t.co/pxDzkjHsoc
— Dublin GAA (@DubGAAOfficial) October 7, 2023
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