Dec 01,2024
Na Fianna (Dublin) 2-22 Kilcormac/Killoughey (Offaly) 2-16
AJ Murphy struck the crucial goal as Na Fianna held firm at Croke Park to claim the AIB Leinster club SHC title and a famous Dublin double.
Just one point separated the sides in an entertaining back-and-forth after Conor Mahon's goal for 2012 champions Kilcormac/Killoughey in the 39th minute.
The Offaly champions had momentum on their side at that stage having cut a half-time deficit of five points to the minimum with a strong third quarter.
But Murphy's goal shortly after the Mahon strike put Na Fianna back in pole position and they sped to a famous victory from there.
Free-taker Colin Currie struck 0-08 overall for Na Fianna while captain Donal Burke rose to the occasion with seven excellent points from play.
The result means that manager Niall O Ceallachain, recently appointed as Dublin boss, will double job for another couple of weeks at least as Na Fianna will face Loughrea in an All-Ireland semi-final on the weekend of 14/15 December.
It also means that both Dublin champions, Cuala and Na Fianna, have won this year's two Leinster senior titles.
Cuala became the first club in the entire province to have won Leinster titles in both codes when they won their final this evening and Na Fianna have matched that achievement.
Cillian Kiely's unavailability from the start was a blow for Offaly champions Kilcormac-Killoughey who came in as underdogs.
The county star is in the form of his career and boosted morale when he returned from a broken thumb to feature as a sub in the semi-final win over Castletown Geoghegan.
The Poc Fada specialist was named to start this time at number six but it's understood he received a further blow to the thumb last weekend so was held in reserve until the second-half.
Enda Grogan came into the team in his place while Jack Meagher, wearing number 22, replaced Paul O'Dea in the Na Fianna lineup.
Based just down the road on Mobhi Road, Na Fianna looked like a team intent on not leaving Croke Park with more painful memories following last year's narrow final defeat.
They were 0-05 to 0-01 up inside eight minutes this time, retained that five-point lead at the 20 minute mark and stretched the gap to seven points when Sean Currie netted after 27 minutes.
It was a terrific piece of enterprise from the number 12 who pulled the ball out of a ruck on the right wing, beat defender Oisin Mahon with an energetic run and struck to the net.
Donal Burke gave his best 30 minutes of the campaign in the opening half and his fifth point of the half approaching the break left Na Fianna with a commanding 1-12 to 0-08 lead.
But K/K closed it out strongly with points from Adam Screeney, Conor Mahon and goalkeeper Conor Slevin to leave Na Fianna with a 1-13 to 0-11 half-time lead.
In just his second ever game at Croke Park - this year's Joe McDonagh Cup final was the first - Screeney was marked by former Dublin football forward Conor McHugh.
It was an interesting battle and McHugh was surely satisfied to have held the All-Ireland U-20 winner to a point from play in the first-half.
Screeney grabbed another from play, and three points in all, as Kilcormac/Killoughey turned up the heat after the restart.
Things got even better in the 39th minute when Conor Mahon capitalised on a Screeney 65 that hit the woodwork and fell kindly for him to strike to the net.
Suddenly, just a point separated the teams at 1-15 to 1-16 but Na Fianna quickly reasserted their authority with a goal themselves inside 90 seconds, Stacey setting Murphy free for the crucial score.
Na Fianna looked the better side from there on, even if Leigh Kavanagh was unfortunate to see a shot for Kilcormac/Killoughey come crashing off the crossbar in the 45th minute.
Na Fianna piled on the misery in the closing minutes to open up a seven-point lead by the hour, allowing them to absorb the blow of a second Kilcormac/Killoughey goal when Screeney struck.
Na Fianna: Jonathan Tracey; Kevin Burke, Sean Burke, Conor McHugh; Donal Ryan, Liam Rushe, Peter Feeney; Brian Ryan (0-02), Sean Currie (1-00); Gavin King, Donal Burke (0-07), Jack Meagher (0-02); Colin Currie (0-08, 0-07f), AJ Murphy (1-02), Ciaran Stacey (0-01).
Subs: Sean Ryan for King h/t, Diarmuid Clerkin for Rushe 49-50, Shane Barrett for Meagher 58.
Kilcormac/Killoughey: Conor Slevin (0-02, 0-02f); Oisin Mahon, Tom Spain, James Mahon; Jordan Quinn, Brecon Kavanagh, Enda Grogan; Colin Spain (0-01), Damien Kilmartin; Jack Screeney, Conor Mahon (1-02), Leigh Kavanagh; Adam Screeney (1-08, 0-06f), Charlie Mitchell (0-03), Daniel Hand.
Subs: Cillian Kiely for Grogan 39, James Gorman for Hand 42, Peter Geraghty for Jack Screeney 45, Cathal Kiely for Leigh Kavanagh 57, Alex Kavanagh for Kilmartin 59.
Referee: Padraig Dunne (Laois).
