In the Dublin Senior Hurling final, Na Fianna secured their title once again in a dramatic finish at Parnell Park on Saturday evening. A winning goal in the 63rd minute meant they snatched the win, despite trailing for most of the match.
Two points behind Kilmacud Crokes, amidst the final three additional minutes Na Fianna was offered a free just past the 20, straight in front of the goalposts. This was a crucial moment, their goalkeeper, Jonathan Tracey, was called forward to take the shot, evidently signalling their last-ditch effort to score a goal. After the initial shot was held at bay, the rebound came to Paul O’Dea, whose attempt was obstructed. However, Ciarán Stacey was in the right spot at the right time, deftly sending the ball into the net at the far post.
The outcome was a bitter pill to swallow for Crokes, who had previously seemed set to win their first title since 2022, especially after they staved off a resurgence from Na Fianna midway through the second half. However, Stacey’s last-minute breakout effort proved decisive.
Even though Na Fianna achieved the first point of the match, within three minutes they were lagging behind, a position they remained in until Stacey’s game-changing goal. Apart from a brief equalising stint in the second half before Crokes retook the lead, Na Fianna was in the lead for barely three minutes in total.
This win marked just the second senior hurling triumph for the Mobhi Road team, directly following their ground-breaking win the previous year. In contrast, this constitutes a second final disappointment for Crokes within a week, following their defeat in the football final the preceding Sunday.
In the early stage of the match, courtesy of a beautifully crafted sideline cut by Gavin King, Na Fianna made the first score. Sadly, that was the peak for the 2023 champions within the initial ten minutes, as they were subsequently outmanoeuvred. In return, Crokes demonstrated their dominance, scoring seven points in a row and narrowly missing a goal.
Kilmacud players from Stillorgan shone in their early lead, seeming to always have the sliotar in their grasp after every contested possession. Their effortless movement of the ball provided an impressive start, putting Na Fianna on the defensive. However, Na Fianna regained some control, pulling the score back to 0-8 to 0-5 just before the quarter of an hour mark.
A swift and powerful shot by AJ Murphy resulted in Na Fianna’s fifth point, the ball narrowly missing the crossbar. No sooner had this happened than Crokes retaliated, with David Purcell sending the ball flying past Tracey into the Na Fianna goal. This moment proved significant, with Na Fianna struggling to find their footing again.
A misplaced sideline pass from Na Fianna went straight to Dara Purcell of Crokes, who quickly sent the sliotar over the black spot. Kilmacud continued to gain control as the ball fell once more into their possession, benefiting Conal Ó Riain this time.
The score was 1-13 to 0-7 to Crokes at the 24th-minute mark when Jack Meagher of Na Fianna hit the woodwork with a striking shot, prompting spectators to question if luck was against them that night. Yet another squandered goal opportunity, as result of Stacey’s erroneous pass, left Murphy with a difficult angle, and his shot went wide.
Yet perseverance triumphed, with Na Fianna securing a goal just before half time. Stacey found defender Conor McHugh to his right, who, despite initial fumblings, managed to get the ball past Eddie Gibbons. This concluded the first half, narrowing Kilmacud’s margin of supremacy to five – 1-14 to 1-9.
The second half witnessed some poor shooting from both teams, yet it was in the 37th minute that Donal Burke made a significant impact on the game with his aggressive dash through Crokes defence. Crokes finally managed to catch him, leading to a penalty, which Burke expertly executed, narrowing the gap between the two teams to a minimum. O’Dea’s impressive score from Mobhi Road levelled the ground for Na Fianna at the 43rd minute.
In reaction, Kilmacud made a strong comeback. Passing the ball crisply down the field, Oisín O’Rourke scored a goal for Kilmacud in the very next move, leading 2-16 to Na Fianna’s 2-13. This seemed to be a sign that they had successfully endured the onslaught. But the anticipation was premature.
Approaching the end of injury time, while leading by two points, Crokes watched as Na Fianna was awarded a late free. The suspense was far from over; indeed it was just beginning. The critical game-determining moment was claimed by Stacey. Leadership qualities shine in the final moments, and this was certainly the case here.
NA FIANNA: The team included Jonathan Tracey; Seán Burke, Conor McHugh (1-0), Kevin Burke; Paul O’Dea (0-2), Liam Rushe, Peter Feeney; Brian Ryan (0-2), Seán Currie (0-1); Jack Meagher (0-2), Colin Currie (0-7, 1 65, 4f), Ciarán Stacey (1-0); Donal Burke (1-0, penalty), AJ Murphy (0-1), Gavin King (0-1).
Subs featured Joe Kavanagh for King (41 mins), Diarmuid Clerkin for Ryan (51), and Shane Barrett for Murphy (57).
KILMACUD CROKES: The squad composed of Eddie Gibbons; Brendan Kelly, Brian Sheehy, David Lucey; Cian Ó Cathasaigh, Cian MacGabhann, Mark Grogan; Brian Hayes (0-2), Dara Purcell (0-2); Fergal Whitely (0-1), Oisín O’Rorke (1-7, 4f), Caolan Conway; David Purcell (1-0), Ronan Hayes (0-2), Conal Ó Riain (0-4).
In the 34th minute, MacGabhann was substituted with Padhraic Linehan, while Conway was replaced by Michael Roche in the 44th minute. The game was refereed by Seán Stack from Parnells.