Kilmacud Crokes had a poor, poor Sunday at the office.
After flying out of the blocks with a Pat Burke goal after four minutes, the Dublin champions were in the driving seat. With the scores level at half-time and having defended well against a Tullamore gale, they were well placed to push on and grab this game by the scruff in the second half.
But nothing changed.
And instead of taking off, they inexplicably sat back into a defensive formation, invited Mullinalaghta onto them and gave Paul Mannion, Shane Pearson and co. nothing to work with and barely any support up top.
That’s criminal when you’ve those weapons in attack and Kilmacud Crokes will undoubtedly have loads of regrets when the dust settles on this galling Leinster final defeat.
In the mean-time, Listening to the whole country rave about the giants being killed, about the favourites being toppled, about the shock of the year and about Mullinalaghta’s amazing achievement, it must be a lonely place to be for Kilmacud Crokes.
A team who must have been absolutely sickened from the very moment the final whistle was blown in O’Connor Park.
But even though they must have just wanted to ground to open up and swallow them right at that moment, their players deserve huge credit for making their way into the sea of a Mullinalaghta bodies to shake hands and to say fair play to their conquerors.
Led by midfielder Craig Dias only moments after the final whistle had blown, sparking madness in the middle of the field, a number of the Kilmacud players came into congratulate them on their achievement.
It would have been very easy for them to disappear into the dressing rooms with their heads down, but they showed respect and they showed class.
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