Kilmacud Crokes 4-26 Na Fianna 2-25

Kilmacud Crokes are Dublin senior hurling champions again after fighting back from the brink to overcome Na Fianna in an extra-time thriller at Parnell Park.

Trailing by nine points with as many minute of normal time remaining, it looked like the Stillorgan side were set for yet more heartache after final defeats in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

But Ronan Hayes, having earlier miscued a penalty and struck it wide, was their hero with a late goal that helped force extra-time followed by six more points in extra-time to secure a remarkable 16-point swing on the scoreboard by full-time.

Hayes finished with 1-14 in total and showed real courage to summon his best form after the 55th minute penalty miss which looked like it would be decisive at the time.

Crokes outscored first time finalists Na Fianna by 0-08 to 0-01 in total in extra-time to secure their sixth title and their third since 2012.

Oisin O'Rorke weighed in with a significant 1-03 for the Glenalbyn men too while Fergal Whitely and Alex Considine were also on the mark with vital majors in what will go down as a memorable county final.

Crokes will return to action in the AIB Leinster club championship against Westmeath representatives Raharney on 28 November in Mullingar.

But Na Fianna will kick themselves for not finishing it off in normal time as they led by 2-23 to 1-17 when Donal Burke, who hit 2-7 in total, stroked home from the ground in the 51st minute.

They'd led at half-time, by 1-15 to 1-11, and at both water breaks and it seemed a done deal that they would go on to finally land the county title that the club craved.

Burke and Sean Currie were terrific up to that point with 2-15 between them, Currie striking seven of his eight points from open play and the other from a sideline cut.

With Liam Rushe planted at the centre of their defence, they looked a formidable unit and the former St Pat's, Palmerstown hurler bombed forward for a point in the third quarter as Na Fianna turned the screw.

Colin Currie, AJ Murphy and Paul O'Dea pointed too as the side managed by Niall O Ceallachain positioned itself on the cusp of a famous win.

They couldn't finish it off though with Crokes launching their remarkable late revival with a 52nd minute Fergal Whitely goal.

Crokes threw the kitchen sink at Na Fianna in the search of a third goal but when Hayes skewed a penalty attempt badly wide in the 55th minute and Considine rippled the side-netting in the 58th minute, it looked as if it wasn't to be their evening.

They refused to throw in the towel though and Oisin O'Rorke blasted to the net after a great run by the influential Davy Crowe and then, deep into stoppage time, Hayes made amends for his earlier miss by lashing to the net after being set up by Padhraic Linehan.

It levelled the scores and while Donal Burke engineered a parcel of space to shoot for a point in the 66th minute, he couldn't convert and extra-time followed.

Na Fianna looked shell-shocked and didn't raise much of a fight in extra-time with just one point in the additional 20 minutes, from defender Kevin Burke.

The Crokes win means that the cup will stay on the southside for yet another yet with Craobh Chiarain the last team from the capital's northside to come out on top, way back in 2006.

Kilmacud Crokes: Eddie Gibbons; Bill O'Carroll, Davy Crowe (0-01), Brian Sheehy; Cian MacGabhann, Mark Grogan, Padhraic Linehan; Lorcan McMullan (0-02), Dillon Mulligan; Caolan Conway (0-03), Fergal Whitely (1-01), Dara Purcell (0-01); Oisin O'Rorke (1-03), Ronan Hayes (1-14, 0-07f, 0-02 65), Alex Considine (1-01).

Subs: Marc Howard for Purcell 42, Shane Veale for Conway 47, Cian O Cathasaigh for MacGabhann 50. Jamie Clinton for O'Carroll e/t, Purcell for Whitely h/t e/t, James Dillon for Considine 76.

Na Fianna: Jonathan Treacy; Sean Burke, Kevin Burke (0-01), Sean Baxter; Feargal Breathnach; Donal Ryan, Liam Rushe (0-01), Paul O'Dea (0-01); Peter Feeney (0-01), Micheal Murphy (0-02); Sean Currie (0-08, 0-01 s/l), Donal Burke (2-07, 0-06f), Shane Barrett (0-01); AJ Murphy (0-02), Colin Currie (0-01).

Subs: Conor McHugh for Baxter 41, Mairtin Quilty for Feeney 50, Conor Kelly for Sean Burke 50, Eoghan McHugh for AJ Murphy 57, Hugh Fenlon for O'Dea 62. Kieran Murphy for Micheal Murphy 67, Sean Ryan for Colin Currie 70.

Referee: Chris Mooney.