Dublin SHC semi-finals:
Lucan Sarsfields 1-21 Ballyboden St Enda’s 1-17
Na Fianna 2-22 Kilmacud Crokes 0-17
This really is becoming something like a marathon effort from the Na Fianna hurlers.
And, fittingly enough, the Dublin, Leinster and All-Ireland club title holders will contest yet another county final on Saturday week, their fifth in a row, hours before the masses descend on the nearby city streets for the annual 26.2 miles of torture the following morning.
It’ll be a 7pm throw-in under the Parnell Park lights on October 25th and it’ll be Na Fianna against Lucan Sarsfields in a novel decider.
Whether heavy legs and fatigue will be a problem for Aidan Downes’ Na Fianna remains to be seen. Having barely dropped their hurls for the last couple of years, the back-to-back Leinster club finalists might even hit the dreaded wall.
RM Block
There was no great sign of problematic lactic acid build-up on semi-final afternoon though as the Glasnevin outfit took care of old rivals Kilmacud Crokes, coming up with an impressive kick for the finish line.
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Goals from AJ Murphy and former Limerick player Brian Ryan, in the 50th and 52nd minutes, propelled the Mobhi Road men to a 2-22 to 0-17 win.
You could call that 11-point win a PB of sorts for Na Fianna because they only had a point to spare when they beat Crokes in last year’s final, while they lost by three to the Glenalbyn outfit in 2022 and were defeated after extra-time by the same side in the 2021 decider.
The clubs also met in a football semi-final a week earlier and Na Fianna won that one too, a delightful double that has largely been pulled off by two different sets of players - a trick only the biggest of city clubs seem to be able to pull off.
Current Dublin hurler Conor McHugh, four times an All-Ireland SFC medal winner during the golden era, is one of Na Fianna’s few dual gems and lined out again in their latest win.
County colleague Donal Burke started too despite suffering a hamstring twinge in their extra-time quarter-final win over Cuala, another nod to their embrace of the marathon distance.
Burke helped himself to five important points this time, including one sumptuous sideline cut that he chopped over on a pet day for hurling.
Tom Brennan was another Na Fianna injury doubt but started and clipped a first-half point that helped his side reach the half-way point tied at 0-10 apiece.
Given the history between the two teams - it stretches all the way back to the minor ranks as Na Fianna and Crokes shared seven titles between them from 2014 to 2020 - we didn’t rule out extra-time being required again.
Fergal Whitely enjoyed a strong season in blue for Dublin and was Crokes’ top scorer from play with three points but four of their six starting forwards were replaced by the 53rd minute, underlining where things went wrong.
Na Fianna sensed opportunity and pounced, registering those two goals from Murphy, Man of the Match in last January’s All-Ireland club final win, and Ryan to leave them coasting late on.
Ballyboden St Enda’s, like Na Fianna, harboured hopes of a double of senior crowns but, a week after booking their football final place, were beaten by Lucan Sarsfields in the other hurling semi-final.
Lucan’s 1-21 to 1-17 win was built on the platform of a solid first-half which left them nine points clear at the break providing them with enough of a cushion to hold off the anticipated ‘Boden fightback.
Ben Coffey accounted for half of Lucan’s first-half tally, as they led 0-16 to 0-7 at that stage, and 1-11 overall, helping them to secure a first final place at the grade since 2013.
Mind you, when ‘Boden reduced their arrears to just one during the second half, it looked as if perennial semi-finalists Lucan may miss out on the showpiece yet again.
“Balls that were sticking for us in the first-half weren’t sticking in the second-half,” said Lucan manager and Kilkenny great Charlie Carter. “Overall, there was plenty of good stuff there and there was plenty of stuff that we have to work on ahead of the next day. But as I said to the boys, ‘You can’t win one unless you’re in it’.”
