SLICK TREACY CUFFS CROKES
Dead eye David returns to scene of crime to crack case
DUBLIN SHC FINAL
The county forward, who’d earlier failed to convert a penalty, was replaced with a minute of normal time to go in what was at that stage a twopoint game.
Kilmacud Crokes then got the margin down to one and it remained that way with five minutes of additional time played.
But when Colm Cronin was hauled down and Cuala were awarded a free, manager Mattie Kenny returned his placed ball expert to action and Treacy (right) duly delivered, a la Canavan for Tyrone in the 2005 All-ireland football final.
That point put All-ireland holders Cuala two clear again and Treacy’s sixth of the game, a brilliant effort from play in the 68th minute, sealed a gutsy three-point win.
Kenny said: “There’s no better free-taker in Dublin than David so it was the right decision to bring him back on to take it.”
Darragh O’connell’s first-half goal ultimately separated the south-side rivals while Dublin football star Con O’callaghan weighed in with three important points.
Cuala had found themselves 0-4 to 0-1 down after 10 minutes. It was a dream start for the underdogs but they didn’t score again until late in the half.
They racked up the wides in that period as Cuala stormed into the game with an unanswered 1-4 to take firm control of proceedings. O’connell’s 18th minute goal put Cuala ahead for the first time, 1-3 to 0-4, and it was a fine effort. He began a move with a run from midfield and remained in the danger area to capitalise on a speculative ball from the left by Cronin, dinking a clever finish over the advancing goalkeeper.
Crokes finally broke a 22-minute scoring drought with points from O’rorke and Whitely to trail by just 1-5 to 0-6 at the break.
Crokes levelled the game in the 36th minute with back to back frees from O’rorke, typing it up at 0-8 to 1-5.
A potential turning point in the game arrived three minutes later when Schutte was hauled down after expertly fielding O’connell’s high ball in.
Treacy took the penalty but saw his effort turned around the post by Eoin Dalton.
But Crokes, crucially, never regained the lead and slipped three behind with 10 minutes to go when Treacy, Colum Sheanon and O’callaghan all pointed.
Cuala weren’t close to their best yet stretched the gap to four with a Cronin score after 52 minutes – and they needed that cushion during a hectic finale.