Dublin SFC/Kilmacud Crokes 1-10 St Brigid's 0-12: Huge stakes last night as the two favourites for the Dublin championship crossed swords.
Somebody needed to stamp their authority on the occasion and there were plenty of candidates on show: St Brigid's men Rory Gallagher and Declan Lally, or maybe veterans Declan Darcy and Raymie Gallagher would make the impact from the bench.
In fact it was one of the most precocious talents in Dublin football that stood out - Mark Vaughan. The key phase came in the last quarter when he fired three successive points to put Kilmacud Crokes in the driving seat.
A lot of attention centred around Vaughan's availability this week. The new GAC disciplinary committee at the 11th hour lifted his suspension, despite a straightforward one-match ban for the red card he received in the Leinster championship defeat to Portlaoise last year.
Seemingly untroubled by the commotion he galloped down the tram line after nine minutes before supplying Declan Kelleher to fire the game's only goal. Vaughan then kicked two frees in succession just before half-time to leave Crokes four points clear.
With Declan Lally subdued early on, the St Brigid's attack were reliant on the free-taking of Johnny Noonan, and Rory Gallagher although Ken Darcy did kick a huge point to keep them in touch before Vaughan's double.
Moments before Darcy split the posts Crokes should have claimed a second goal but lax passing and a clever steal by Declan Cahill denied Ray Cosgrove and Mark Davoran.
Lally came to life in the second half to cause panic down the wings and kick two points either side of contributions from Noonan and Davock Dinneen.
A quality Vaughan score kept Crokes clear but another Lally raid resulted in Raymie Gallagher finding the target. Then Darcy levelled matters.
Naturally the tension began to boil. Paul Griffin and Rory Gallagher's duel looked like it would decide the outcome but again Vaughan nudged his team clear. Then he kicked a side-line point, then another point from a long distance out.
The two replacements, Declan Darcy and Raymie Gallagher, reduced the deficit. Just to keep it dramatic Rory Gallagher put a free wide, the ninth of the half, in the fourth minute of injury time.
KILMACUD CROKES: D Nelligan; N McGrath, C Flanagan, D Maher; P Griffin, L Óg Ó hEineachain (0-1), B McGrath; J McGee, C Murphy (0-1); M Vaughan (0-6, 2f 1sl), L McBarron, D Kelleher (1-1); R Cosgrove, M Davoran, B Phelan. Subs: N Convery for B Phelan (15 mins), K O'Carroll (0-1) for L McBarron (23 mins), M O'Keeffe for C Murphy (59 mins).
ST BRIGID'S: P Keane; J Coyle, D Cahill, M Cahill; G Norton, P Andrews, B Cahill; K Darcy (0-2), J Ward; K Kehily, Rory Gallagher (0-1), D Lally (0-2); J Noonan (0-3, 2f), D Dinneen (0-1), J Brogan. Subs: Raymie Gallagher (0-2) for J Brogan (half-time), M Galvin for K Kehily (38 mins), D Darcy (0-1) for J Noonan (50 mins).
Referee: T McCarthy (St Vincents).
