CROKES EDGE PAST NA FIANNA AND NOW FACE VINS OR BODEN IN SEMI!

Our Senior team advanced to the semi-final of the Dublin Championship in very warm conditions at Parnell Park today.  The 12pm throw-in may have something to do with their sluggish start but they improved gradually and did just enough in the end to get past a youthful and competitive Na Fianna side.  The final score of 0-15 to 1-10 could just as easily have been 0-15 to 2-9 after a late toe-poke barely cleared David Nestor’s bar with only minutes left and a desperate Na Fianna pressing for a goal.  Despite this Crokes fully deserved their win having come back from an early burst by the primrose and blue boys which featured an 8th minute goal – Odhrán Ó Maoléadaigh must have been watching Benny Coulter recently!

The Crokes responded well and began to up the tempo to good effect.  Pat Burke was buzzing and Brian Kavanagh was back to his very best at full-forward.  His 5 points saw Crokes into a 1 point half-time lead (0-9 to 1-5).  Na Fianna weren’t going to lie down and signalled their intent with a point immediately after the restart.  However they failed to score again for over 20 minutes while Crokes assumed control and were 4 points clear as the game entered the final stages.  They even managed to miss an open goal after a good pitch-long move in the 55th minute – watch out for the videoJ  Prior to this a blistering Kavanagh shot was brilliantly saved at the expense of a converted “45”, by goalkeeper Ó Flatharta.  Having survived thus far, Na Fianna were encouraged to try even harder and ….. the Crokes supporters were made to sweat to the end!

Paddy Carr and his management team will be reasonably pleased: all 6 forwards scored and the injury situation looks to be improving.  They will be only too aware that a big improvement is needed if they are to topple the winners of the Boden/Vincents replay in the semi-final (probably on Saturday week TBC).  The graph is upwards and they now have some time to fine-tune a few things.  Well done lads!