Na Fianna undone again as Crokes seal 'double' double

Kilmacud Crokes 0-20 Na Fianna 0-17

Oisin O'Rorke, Ronan Hayes and Cian Ó Cathasaigh struck late points at Parnell Park this afternoon as 14-man Kilmacud Crokes completed a 'double’ double with victory over Na Fianna in the Dublin SHC final.

In addition to retaining their crown at this grade, the Stillorgan club can call themselves top-tier senior hurling and football champions in the capital for a second year in succession.

Having lost out to the same opposition in both the 2021 decider and last weekend’s big ball showpiece, this game represented further heartbreak for Na Fianna at the hands of their southside counterparts.

Following early traded efforts between Fergal Whitely and Dublin senior hurler Donal Burke, Crokes took control with unanswered points from O’Rorke (two), Micheal Roche and Alex Considine. However, Sean Currie superbly split the uprights off a sideline cut on 13 minutes and this helped to ignite the Na Fianna challenge.

Even though Whitely added his second of the half, an Andrew Jamieson-Murphy single was supplemented by three points from the excellent Burke to bring the Glasnevin men on level terms.

Alex Considine and O’Rorke subsequently found the target to ease the pressure on Crokes, only for Murphy to respond with another fine score from close-range.

Despite conceding another free to O’Rorke, Na Fianna restored parity towards the end of the opening period courtesy of an eye-catching brace of points by Burke.

A fifth score from dead-ball specialist O'Rorke gave Crokes a slender 0-10 to 0-09 cushion at the interval, but Na Fianna were the dominant side during the third quarter.

In addition to 0-4 from the increasingly-influential Burke, Jamieson-Murphy (two) and Diarmuid Clerkin raised white flags to move