Kilmacud Crokes 1-14 Ballyboden St Enda's 0-09
We should never have doubted them. Kilmacud Crokes, the reigning All-Ireland club title holders, were billed as underdogs for this Dublin SFC final but turned in their best performance of the season to claim a historic three-in-a-row.
Buttressed by a stout defence that conceded just six points from play, and inspired in attack by Galway star Shane Walsh who struck 1-02, Robbie Brennan's side streaked to their biggest win of this year's campaign.
Walsh blasted a terrific goal in the 40th minute, doubling Crokes' advantage from three to six points at that stage, and they soared clear from there with Shane Cunningham also impressive.
It is the club's first ever three-in-a-row and their 11th county crown moves them level with O'Tooles as the second most successful team ever in the capital, behind St Vincent's.
Ballyboden were a pale shadow of the side that showed such strong form in their quest for a fifth title ever and a first since 2019.
They never led and were unable to trouble a Crokes defence that has seen it all at this stage following back to back provincial club championships successes.
Crokes will return to the Leinster championship on Saturday, 4 November and will take on the Carlow champions Eire Og under lights, in Carlow.
Crokes must have enjoyed the rare experience of coming into the game as underdogs having narrowly scraped past Raheny in the semi-final following a penalty shoot-out.
Before that, their largest win in this year's campaign was a six-point dismissal of Castleknock in the group. For the most part, Brennan's side did just about enough to return to the decider.
In defence of the back to back Leinster club champions, they have been without injured Dublin midfielder Craig Dias while the mercurial Walsh, marked this time by Cathal Flaherty, has been battling injuries for a number of months.
The latest injury to affect the 2022 All-Star was a broken nose suffered in the county quarter-final defeat of Ballymun Kickhams, requiring him to wear a protective mask against Raheny.
As for 'Boden, they reached the final with a cumulative 47 points to spare following double-digit victory margins in both the quarter-final win over Castleknock and the semi-final defeat of St Judes.
Backboned by Dublin duo Colm and Ryan Basquel in attack, along with Ross McGarry who featured for the Sky Blues in this year's Championship, they possessed the potential to cut through Crokes' typically miserly defence without ever managing to do so.
Maybe Crokes, who contested the last two All-Ireland finals, were simply pacing themselves, however, because when the need was greatest they rose to the occasion with their most impressive display of the season so far.
Mark O'Leary opened the scoring for the Stillorgan side in the third minute and while the teams were level twice in the early stages, the six-time provincial winners moved ahead in the 10th minute and remained in that position throughout.
At one stage, with 21 minutes on the clock, they held a double scores 0-06 to 0-03 advantage with Mannion and then defender Dan O'Brien stroking over eye-catching scores from long-range.
Ballyboden cut the deficit to the minimum with back to back Ryan Basquel points before Mannion lofted over another beauty to leave Crokes 0-07 to 0-05 clear at the interval.
The match-ups were intriguing with All-Star nominee Colm Basquel tracked by Theo Clancy, Flaherty trailing Crokes dangerman Walsh and James Holland keeping tabs on Mannion.
Cunningham was excellent for Crokes in the second-half and hit their first two points of the third quarter before Walsh slammed in that goal.
It was a cracking finish off his left foot after he was set free following a turnover at midfield and left Crokes 1-09 to 0-06 ahead.
In truth, there only ever looked like being one winner after that with 'Boden ringing the changes and emptying their bench but painfully unable to find the openings to trouble the champions.
Dara Mullin chimed in with a point for Crokes too and they were full value for their eight-point win with substitute Anthony Quinn firing a goal attempt back off the cross in stoppage time.
Kilmacud Crokes: David Higgins; James Murphy, Dan O'Brien (0-01), Theo Clancy; Andrew McGowan, Aidan Jones (0-01), Rory O'Carroll; Mark O'Leary (0-01), Brian Sheehy; Shane Horan (0-01), Paul Mannion (0-03, 0-01f), Dara Mullin (0-01); Hugh Kenny, Shane Cunningham (0-03), Shane Walsh (1-02).
Subs: Cian O'Connor (0-01) for Horan 42, Luke Ward for Kenny 51, Darragh Dempsey for Cunningham 58, Anthony Quinn for Jones 59, Liam Flatman for O'Leary 62.
Ballyboden St Enda's: Darragh Gogan; Cathal Flaherty, Kieran Kennedy, Shane Clayton; Brian Bobbett, James Holland, Alex Gavin; Cein Darcy, Michael Darragh Macauley; Luke O'Donohue, Warren Egan, Ross McGarry (0-02); Colm Basquel (0-03, 0-01f), Ryan Basquel (0-03, 0-02f), Ryan O'Dwyer.
Subs: Mick McDonald for Macauley h/t, Daire Sweeney (0-01) for Egan 42, Ryan Baynes for Kennedy 45, Darren O'Reilly for O'Dwyer 49, Leo McHugh for Bobbett 52.
Referee: Dave Feeney (Parnells).
