Glen fell agonisingly short in their quest for a first All-Ireland Club Football title as Kilmacud Crokes won a gripping final 1-11 to 1-9 at Croke Park.

However, a Shane Walsh penalty helped Kilmacud back into it as the Dublin side led by 1-4 to 1-3 at half-time.

Four unanswered scores moved Glen into a two-point lead early in the second half, but helped by the increasingly influential Walsh, Kilmacud overturned the deficit.

Glen midfielder Conor Glass saw a shot saved by Crokes goalkeeper Conor Ferris and Conleth McGuckian fired wide in a frantic finish as the Dublin side avenged last year’s defeat by Kilcoo to win their third title.

With Ballyhale Shamrocks having dashed Dunloy’s hopes in the hurling decider earlier on Sunday, Glen’s defeat meant that the Ulster sides left Croke Park empty handed.

Having put the Kilmacud defence under severe pressure in the closing stages, the Glen players fell to the turf in agony as the Crokes players embraced each other in jubilation at the final whistle as they avenged last year’s loss to Kilcoo in extra-time.

And while the Kilmacud players danced ecstatically in Croke Park, the sullen expressions of the Glen players as they watched Crokes captain Shane Cunningham’s victory speech portrayed a team wondering what might have been after a strong third-quarter showing had put them in the ascendancy.

Glen make explosive start

Glen have become known as fast starters after building early leads against Kilcoo and Moycullen in their last two games and they landed a first-minute sucker-punch on Kilmacud when Tallon sold Michael Mullin a dummy and held off Cillian O’Shea before rifling a venomous shot past Conor Ferris.

Alex Doherty’s score and a Tallon free either side of Craig Dias’ point for Crokes had Glen four up and their lead was stretched to five when midfield colossus Emmett Bradley – outstanding against Moycullen – expertly curled one over the bar.

Kilmacud threw a curveball prior to throw-in by naming fit-again Paul Mannion to start, and while the three-time All-Star and Galway ace Shane Walsh added stardust to the Dublin champions’ attack, it was Dara Mullin and captain Shane Cunningham who impressed.

Cunningham won Crokes’ penalty when he drew a foul from Ryan Dougan and after Walsh converted, scores from Mullin and Cunningham drew the Leinster champions level.

With Glen struggling to secure possession from their own kick-outs, Crokes grew increasingly dominant with Craig Dias proving a key influence in the middle of the field.

And with just a couple of minutes of the first half remaining, Kilmacud took the lead for the first time when all-action corner-back Dan O’Brien slotted over.

While Glen immediately reviewed their first-half performance before going down the tunnel in an on-pitch huddle, Crokes got a sniff of a second goal soon after the resumption when Andrew McGowan surged forward and fed Aidan Jones, who drew an important save from Bradley.

Walsh nailed the subsequent ’45 but that score sparked Glen into life, the Derry champions reeling off four unanswered scores through Tallon (2), Alex Doherty and Jack Doherty to move 1-7 to 1-5 ahead.

Crokes levelled the game once again through a Mannion free and Cunningham’s curling effort, and while Emmett Bradley and Conleth McGuckian restored Glen’s two-point lead, Crokes took their chances as Glen missed theirs with substitute Stevie O’Hara squandering a goal opportunity after being picked out by Jack Doherty.

Glen’s pain is only deepened by a chaotic denouement in which Glass saw his late effort brilliantly tipped around the post by Ferris before McGuckian’s hit-and-hope sailed through a sea of bodies and wide as the Maghera men’s journey ended with devastation on the biggest stage.

Kilmacud Crokes: Conor Ferris; Dan O’Brien (0-1), Michael Mullin, Theo Clancy; Cillian O’Shea, Rory O’Carroll, Andrew McGowan; Ben Shovlin, Craig Dias (0-1); Aidan Jones, Shane Walsh (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-2f, 0-1 ’45), Dara Mullin (0-2); Paul Mannion (0-01f), Shane Cunningham (0-2), Hugh Kenny.

Subs: Cian O’Connor (0-1) for Kenny ’47, Shane Horan for Jones ’49, Luke Ward for Cunningham ’57, Tom Fox for Mannion 60+4, Conor Casey for Dara Mullin 60+4.

Glen: Connlan Bradley; Cathal Mulholland, Ryan Dougan, Connor Carville; Tiarnan Flannagan, Michael Warnock, Eunan Mulholland; Conor Glass, Emmett Bradley (0-2, 0-1f); Ethan Doherty, Jack Doherty (0-1), Conor Convery; Alex Doherty (0-2, 0-1m), Danny Tallon (1-3, 0-2f), Conleth McGuckian (0-1).

Subs: Stevie O’Hara for Convery ’37, Paul Gunning for Alex Doherty ’59.

Referee: Derek O’Mahoney (Tipperary)