Cross beat by Better Crokes

AIB All-Ireland Club SFC Final:
Kilmacud Crokes 1-09  Crossmaglen Rangers 0-06

The Andy Merrigan Cup will remain in the capital this year after Kilmacud Crokes ended Crossmaglen Rangers’ remarkable run in club finals with a fine defensive display at Croke Park on Sunday.

In a low scoring game, 1-9 to 0-7, the Crokes defence conceded just three scores from play in 60 minutes, and Mark Vaughan kicked four vital points to help the Dublin champions to their first All-Ireland success since 1995.

Crokes did most of the damage in the opening stages, with Mark Davoren netting a fine goal after ten minutes to give his side a 1-3 to 0-1 lead.

Crossmaglen did hit back thanks to Oisin McConville’s accuracy from frees, and they trailed by just two points with eight minutes on the clock.

However, Crokes, who were inspired by brilliant displays by Darren Magee and full-back Rory O’Carroll, held on and even managed to tag on two late scores from Niall Corkery and Ray Cosgrove to seal the win.

The Dublin champions opened up an early lead thanks to points from Longford native Brian Kavanagh and Vaughan, who was on free-taking duty.

McConville got Cross off the mark with a lovely angled effort from play, before Davoren struck for the all-important goal.

The Crokes full-forward drifted in behind Francie Bellew and ran on to a punched pass from Corkery before blasting a low shot past Paul Hearty.

Tony Kernan and two more McConville efforts saw Cross start a comeback before Kavanagh hit his second from play to leave his side 1-4 to 0-4 ahead at the break.

Immediately after the interval, McConville was denied brilliantly by Crokes goalkeeper David Nestor before Tony Kernan’s ’45 saw the gap reduced to just two pints.

However, the Dublin side were in no mood to roll over and Magee, inspirational in the middle of the pitch, struck a wonderful point from play. Vaughan was having a mixed day from placed balls and hit a number of wides that could have proven costly on another day.

He did point in the 47th minute from a free before Stephen Kernan responded with a score from play after Tony McEntee’s bouncing shot had caused havoc in the Crokes defence.

McConville struck his fourth point with eight minutes left to set up a grandstand finish, but it was Crokes who finished much stronger, hitting three points without reply to restate their superiority.

Vaughan’s brilliant 53rd minute effort from way out broke the resistance of Donal Murtagh’s side, with Cokery and Cosgrove adding the gloss in added time.

Crossmaglen Rangers: P Hearty; B McKeown, P Kernan, P McKeown; A Kernan, F Bellew, J Donaldson; T McEntee, D McKenna; M McNamee, J McEntee, J Clarke; Tony Kernan, J Murtagh, O McConville.

Kilmacud Crokes: D Nestor; R O’Carroll, R O’Carroll, K Nolan; B McGrath, P Griffin, C O’Sullivan; D Magee, N Corkery; L Ó hÉinneachain, B Kavanagh, A Morrissey; M Vaughan, M Davoren, P Burke.