Kilmacud survive late scare to claim All-Ireland glory

Glorious redemption for Kilmacud Crokes but boy they must have felt a terrible sense of deja vu as the seconds ticked down in this riveting AIB All-Ireland club football final contest.

Beaten in last year's decider by a late, late Kilcoo goal scored by Jerome Johnston, the Dubliners remarkably found themselves in almost the exact same position - two points ahead and defending another last-ditch goal attempt.

Derry and Ulster champions Glen went short with a '45 at the Hill 16 End, Conleth McGuckian turned and shot and sneaked his effort beyond everyone but it went just the wrong side of the upright as Crokes escaped to victory.

A landmark victory which they will savour considering the journey they have travelled.

Replays showed that Glen's Ryan Dougan was so close to getting a touch onto the McGuckian shot which would surely have directed the ball goalwards.

There was personal redemption too for Crokes goalkeeper Conor Ferris who gave the ball away last year in the build-up to the Johnston goal as he pulled off a terrific save from Glen's Conor Glass, resulting in that '45' being awarded.

In actual scoring terms, Galway All-Star Shane Walsh led the way with 1-03, all from placed balls, while four late Crokes points in a row helped them to turn the screw on an utterly determined Glen.

Three-time All-Star Paul Mannion started for Crokes having not featured since the Dublin quarter-final last September following ankle surgery.

It wasn't a game to remember for him as he kicked a series of wides and, perhaps worryingly for Dublin, appeared to jar his ankle late on and was left clutching it before being taken off.

Still, Crokes got the job done and their third All-Ireland success will surely go down as their most memorable given that