Cosgrove the difference

Too frequently, the lament in Dublin football circles is that there are no scoring forwards in the county. Kilmacud Crokes don't share such problems. Ray Cosgrove has gatecrashed the scene like a runaway juggernaut and he stamped his class all over this AIB Leinster club football semi-final at Tullamore yesterday.

Crokes actually made hard work of shaking off the stubborn attentions of Stradbally. Apart from a brief two-minute spell early in the first half and a similar period at the start of the second, the Laois men were generally playing catchup - but they remained so close that referee Seamus McCormack's final whistle, some four minutes into added time, was greeted with considerable relief among the Kilmacud contingent in the 6,000-strong crowd.

The difference in a tough, demanding encounter (which produced 11 bookings, seven of them Kilmacud names) was effectively Cosgrove's contribution. He scored a goal and four points, the 13th minute goal a superb piece of finishing after an opportunistic quick free from Mick Dillon left the Stradbally players unable to close the holes in its gaping defence.

Indeed, Cosgrove's goal was the third such opportunity that had presented itself in the game's infancy. Dillon seemed certain to score immediately after the start, but was well blocked by Jeremy Kavanagh and, then, a couple of minutes later, Peter Ward fired in a shot which rebounded off the crossbar. So, it was a case of third time lucky for Crokes when Cosgrove eventually found the net.

However, that goal didn't open the floodgates. Far from it, in fact, Stradbally tightened up considerably and conjured up some fine points of their own, most notably a 40-yard solo and finish by Tony `Barney' Maher and a lovely closing point of the half from Tom Bowe to leave them trailing by just one point, 1-3 to 0-5, at the break.

Stradbally's intent was demonstrated within 30 seconds of the re-start. Bowe sent in a high ball which was flicked on to Damien Delaney by Paul Molloy and Delaney then found Gary Kavanagh who fired home past Crokes goalkeeper Mick Pender. But they weren't to score again for another 14 minutes and, in that time, Cosgrove and his team's other corner-forward, Mick O'Keeffe, launched the fightback.

Kilmacud's response to the Stradbally goal was to move Conor Deegan out from full back to add some weight to the midfield sector, which was being won by Maher and Larry Keenan. The response on the scoreboard, not surprisingly, came via Cosgrove who kicked back-to-back points from play to level matters and O'Keeffe's second point, in the 48th minute, restored their lead which they weren't to relinquish again.

However, Crokes had to work hard for the scores that eventually booked them a place in the final. Fittingily enough - given his performance - two of their last three points came from Cosgrove's boot. But, even then, Stradbally clung to their would-be conquerors and actually had a great scoring opportunity when Keenan's long free fell to substitute Paul Molloy, but his close-range shot clipped Pender's boot and fell away for a 45, while Greg Ramsbotton slipped twice on the greasy surface when taking kickable frees which were waved wide. It was that close for Crokes, but they survived.

Kilmacud Crokes: M Pender; C O'Dwyer, C Deegan, C Cleary; J O'Callaghan, J McGee, R Leahy (0-1); J Costello, M Leahy (0- 1); P Ward (0-1), M Dillon (0-1), C Redmond; R Cosgrove (1-4, one free), P Bourke, M O'Keefe (0-2). Subs: R Brennan for Bourke (42 mins).

Stradbally: B Delaney; Donal Donohue, E Delaney, J Delaney; P Langton, J Kavanagh, J Buggy; L Keenan, T Maher (0-1); G Ramsbottom (0-3, two frees), T Bowe (0-1), Diarmuid Donohue; B Larkin, D Delaney (0-2, one free), G Kavanagh (1-0). Subs: P Molloy for J Delaney (26 mins); R Darby for B Delaney (36 mins).

Referee - S McCormack (Meath).