GAA club wrap: Paul Mannion to miss Crokes' Dublin SFC decider

FOOTBALL

Kilmacud Crokes will play Na Fianna in the final of the Go Ahead Dublin SFC after seeing off Thomas Davis at Parnell Park, but they're likely to be without talismanic forward Paul Mannion for the foreseeable future.

The Kiltipper Road men made the perfect start as Fionn Murray goalled to push them four points clear. But Crokes then settled, and landed the next eight points, with Shane Walsh kicking five of those scores, four from placed balls.

The second half was a tight affair with Davis adding just one more point as the Stillorgan giants did enough to get back to another final.

And manager Robbie Brennan told RTÉ's Sunday Sport afterwards that recently returned Dublin footballer Mannion is unlikely to be fit for the final having undergone ankle surgery this week.

"It's not good unfortunately," he said of the prognosis for Mannion.

"We thought he wouldn't be too bad because he was walking after Cuala game and we felt it wouldn't be too bad. But he went in for surgery on Thursday just gone, so he's gone long term now.

"He's looking at a rehab programme. Surgery went well so he's getting stuck into it now. I think the recovery period is three months for surgery like that, for the ankle.

"We won't be trying to rush him back. He has a full inter-county season ahead with Dessie and the lads, and I'm sure that'll be his focus going forward."

Palatine beat Tinryland 2-08 to 2-06 in the day's only senior football final in Carlow.

Knockmore's reign as Mayo SFC champions is over after they lost out to Castlebar Mitchels by the narrowest of margins. Castlebar were three up at the break but the gap was down to the minimum after a brace of points from Aidan Orme.

Knockmore, crucially, were never level, and found themselves three down