St Jude’s 1-18 Lucan Sarsfields 3-5
Daire Walsh reports from Parnell Park
ST JUDE’S HELD off a gallant fightback from Lucan Sarsfields this evening to book their place in the Dublin Senior Football Championship final.
Twelve points clear with 10 minutes remaining, the Templeogue outfit subsequently conceded 2-2 on the bounce to set up an anxious conclusion to the contest.
However, with substitutes Seamus Ryan, Brian Coakley and Diarmuid McLoughlin all getting on the scoresheet late on, they eventually prevailed to face the winners of the second semi-final between Ballyboden St Enda’s and Kilmacud Crokes.
Former Leitrim attacker Brendan Gallagher contributed an outstanding tally of 3-3 for Lucan Sarsfields, but there was to be no repeat of their quarter-final heroics against 2020 champions Ballymun Kickhams.
In addition to three points from the boot of Mannix, ex-Cork footballer Niall Coakley (two), Alan Connolly and Colm Murphy were on target to give Jude’s a commanding 0-7 to 0-2 interval lead.
Lucan’s quest to reach a first county decider since 1896 was given a boost when Gallagher rattled the net off a 32nd-minute penalty, but Jude’s reinforced their authority by registering 1-7 without reply either side of the third-quarter mark.
Supplementing two points apiece from Pat Spillane (son of the Kerry legend of the same name) and eight-time All-Ireland champion Kevin McManamon, Niall Coakley angled a left-footed drive beyond the reach of Mark Gibbons on 36 minutes.
Lucan weren’t prepared to go down without a fight, however. After hammering home a rebound following a Paul Copeland save off his second penalty of the game, Gallagher completed his hat-trick when referee Dan Stynes awarded Lucan another penalty with one minute of normal time remaining.
This asked questions of the Jude’s resolve, but thanks in no small part to the power of their bench, they did enough to come through in the end.
Scorers for St Jude’s: Niall Coakley 1-2 (0-1f); David Mannix 0-4 (0-2f); Pat Spillane 0-3; Kevin McManamon (1 ’45’) and Alan Connolly 0-2 each; Colm Murphy, Daragh Kavanagh, Seamus Ryan, Diarmuid McLoughlin and Brian Coakley 0-1 each.
Scorers for Lucan Sarsfields: Brendan Gallagher 3-3 (1-0 pen, 0-2f); Harry Ladd 0-2.
St Jude’s
- 1. Paul Copeland
- 2. Oisin Manning
- 3. Jack McGuire
- 4. Alex Hassett
- 5. Tom Lahiff
- 6. Mark Sweeney
- 7. Chris Guckian
- 8. Colm Murphy
- 9. Pat Spillane
- 10. David Sheehy
- 11. Kevin McManamon
- 12. Daragh Kavanagh
- 13. Niall Coakley
- 14. David Mannix
- 15. Alan Connolly
Subs:
- 20. Diarmuid McLoughlin for Sheehy (42)
- 23. Brian Coakley for Mannix (55)
- 17. Ronan Joyce for McManamon (55)
- 25. Seamus Ryan for Murphy (55)
Lucan Sarsfields
- 1. Mark Gibbons
- 4. Andy Kirwan
- 2. Derek Cahill
- 3. Daire Newcombe
- 5. Ciaran Smith
- 6. Sean Cleary
- 7. Alan Murphy
- 8. Darren Gavin
- 9. Colm Walsh
- 10. Sean Newcombe
- 11. Mark Lavin
- 12. Luke Walsh
- 13. John McCormack
- 14. Harry Ladd
- 15. Brendan Gallagher
Subs:
- 20. Conor Gallagher for McCormack (43)
- 19. Ben O’Toole for Cahill (52)
Referee: Dan Stynes (St Peregrine’s)