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Action from the Dublin Under-21 championship final at Sancta Maria last week that saw Kilmacud Crokes denied the title by a determined Ballinteer St John’s. Picture: Diarmuid O’Gallchobhair
Crokes pipped to U-21 title Epic tussle between local sides sees Ballinteer St John’s crowned Dublin champions after a close encounter at Sancta Maria rob heigh
sport@gazettegroup.com
Kilmacud Crokes were denied victory in the Dublin Under-21 A hurling championship after an epic battle against near-neighbours Ballinteer St John’s at Sancta Maria, which saw the Grange Road club claim the title by three points, 1-12 to 1-9. The match was a tough and close tussle throughout, but it was the accuracy from range of Ballinteer’s Aodhan Clabby that secured the destination of the championship in the second half, his accuracy from the placed ball and from play netting a crucial seven points, while there was an equally important contribution from the St John’s midfield and defence who restricted Kilmacud to three points in the second half.
The game got off at a cracking pace and within four minutes, Fearghal Duffy had put a goal and a point on the board for Ballinteer. However, the advantage was clawed back by a determined Crokes side, a goal from Alex Pilkington bringing the scores back to parity. In a nip-and-tuck half, neither side could claim a clear advantage, and Crokes went in at the break ahead by a single point, 1-6 to 1-5. However, after the turn, it was the determination and purpose of the Ballinteer side over the course of the second half that was the difference in the final shake-down, and Clabby’s accuracy, particularly from range, proved the making of the champions. Speaking to GazetteSport after the dust had settled, Kilmacud Crokes’ chairman Peter Walsh was clearly disappointed by the result,
but echoed the sentiments of Dublin county board chair, Andy Kettle, who presented the trophy at the end of the match and said it was an excellent game of hurling where both sides went toe to-toe for the entire 60 minutes. “From a Crokes perspective, we are disappointed. We recovered from a poor start, and by half time were a point ahead. Our hope was that having weathered a very strong storm that we would have been able to build on our lead, but that didn’t work out due to the workrate, hunger and hurling all round the field by Ballinteer. “Ballinteer were deserved winners, but we are proud of our lads. They fought all the way, to the last moments to find a late goal to bring the game to extra-time, but Ballinteer’s play all round the park was top-class.
“If we got something out of it, we would have been delighted, as we worked hard over the six months of the championship. “We are sore this morning, but we complement our lads for their efforts and complement worthy winners, Ballinteer. It was a quality final that would hold its own in any hurling county anywhere in the country.” Walsh also pinpointed the reason for the strength of southside Gaelic games and the success of local clubs in all codes. “It is a simple formula: hard work, volunteer effort and commitment to the games. There’s no magic wand, this is all effort and commitment in its simplest form, people like [Ballinteer Under-21 manager] Frank Clabby and people in our own club, these are the people making these things happen.”