Tom Tuite scored two points off the bench for The Downs, but the men in black and amber found no way back against a clinical Kilmacud Crokes side in the second half of today's AIB Leinster Club SFC final. Photo: INPHO/Evan Treacy

The Downs fall at final hurdle after Kilmacud boss first half

AIB Leinster Club SFC final: Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 1-12, The Downs 0-8

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A masterclass from Galway forward Shane Walsh helped Dublin kingpins Kilmacud Crokes defend their Leinster Club SFC crown at the expense of their Westmeath counterparts, The Downs, in Croke Park this evening.

Walsh, who transferred to Crokes from Galway club Kilkerrin-Clonberne earlier this year, chipped in with nine points as the Dubliners prevailed against Lar Wall’s charges.

A point from The Downs’ Luke Loughlin took some of the sting out of an early goal by Kilmacud’s Shane Cunningham, but it was all that the Black and Ambers could muster in the opening moiety, as Walsh and co went on to clock up a 1-9 to 0-1 lead at half-time.

The Downs’ lack of fortune in front of goal was exacerbated by the loss of joint captain Mark Kelly to injury not long before the short whistle.

In the second half, Crokes – who were without the services of injured Dublin star Paul Mannion – played into the breeze, and though they added to their score early on, The Downs gradually came into the game a bit more.

Luke Loughlin (2), Niall Mitchell (a free) and subs Tom Tuite (2), Harry Caulfield and Dean Egerton all added points to take the dirty look off the first half scoreline.

But Crokes never looked like surrendering their lead, and comfortably secured the Seán McCabe Cup and a path to the All-Ireland Club semi-finals.

Kilmacud Crokes: Conor Ferris; Micheal Mullin, Theo Clancy, Dan O’Brien; Aidan Jones (0-1), Rory O’Carroll (0-1), Andrew McGowan; Craig Dias, Ben Shovlin; Shane Horan, Shane Walsh (0-9, 5f, 1 ’45’), Cian O’Connor (0-1); Hugh Kenny, Shane Cunningham (1-0), Dara Mullin. Subs used: Tom Fox for Horan (42), Páraic Purcell for Cunningham (45), Cillian O’Shea for O’Connor (51), Luke Ward for Mullin (59), Jeff Kenny for H Kenny (inj., 59).

The Downs: Trevor Martin; Eanna Burke, Peter Murray, Darragh Egerton; Conor Coughlan, Mark Kelly, Joseph Moran; Charlie Drumm, Niall Mitchell (0-1f); Ian Martin, Ciaran Nolan, Johnathan Lynam; Andrew Kilmartin, Luke Loughlin (0-3, 1f), Kevin O’Sullivan. Subs used: Oisín Murphy for Kelly (25), Dean Egerton (0-1) for Kilmartin (36), Tom Tuite (0-2, 1f) for O’Sullivan (47), Liam Moran for Martin (55), Harry Caulfield (0-1) for Lynam (60).

Ref: Maurice Deegan (Laois).

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