Kilmacud Crokes withstand Ardee challenge to reach Leinster club final

St. Mary's Ardee (Louth) 1-11 Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 1-16

Kilmacud Crokes are an hour from a historic three-in-a-row of Leinster club SFC titles after hanging tough in Ardee to secure their final spot at Croke Park next month.

Boss Robbie Brennan and his experienced crew of All-Ireland winning players breathed a sigh of relief at full-time though after flirting with disaster.

Leading by 10 points at half-time, they were reeled in by the resurgent hosts in the third quarter and just two points separated the teams after 46 minutes.

That was as close as Cathal Murray's Ardee side got to scoring a shock win though and holders Crokes finished strongly to win with five to spare.

Paul Mannion, controversially overlooked for an All-Star on Friday evening, and 2022 Galway All-Star Shane Walsh led the scoring for Crokes with five points each while Darragh Dempsey hit their first-half goal.

They will return to a familiar venue for the provincial final in a fortnight at Croke Park and will know that a third consecutive title will elevate them to joint top of the roll of honour, along with Portlaoise and St Vincent's.

St Mary's will kick themselves for not pushing on and at least levelling the game when they got the chance midway through that second-half. A couple of missed opportunities at that stage ultimately proved their undoing.

Visitors Crokes had the stiff wind behind them initially and used it to run a big half-time lead, handing them a massive 10-point cushion that they would end up needing.

Wing-back Cian O'Connor did his usual trick of bombing forward and sniping a point for Crokes when they opened the scoring after just 45 seconds.

Dublin midfielder Craig Dias, back in the lineup after a long-term injury, was influential too in