The half finished in a similarly even manner as Ronan Hayes and Whitely pointed for Kilmacud in the closing stages before a Colin Currie free in added time left the teams deadlocked once again by the interval.

Alex Considine eluded the clutches of Conor McHugh to nullify an earlier sideline score from Burke before O’Rorke converted a brace of frees to regain a marginal lead for Kilmacud. 

The half continued with Burke and Whitely elevating the contest with classy points before another two frees from Colin Currie saw the holders enter the final quarter with an 0-15 to 0-14 lead. 

The contest seemed to be slipping away from Kilmacud at this stage with three of their starting forwards replaced and that impression was franked in the 50th minute as Murphy fired home past Eddie Gibbons from eight yards following Colin Currie’s well-timed pass. 

The contest was effectively settled two minutes later as Ryan made no mistake from a similar position and with that, the champions eased home at their leisure.       

Scorers – Na Fianna: C Currie 0-10 (8f); AJ Murphy 1-3; D Burke 0-5 (0-1 sideline); B Ryan 1-1; P Feeney, S Currie, T Brennan 0-1 apiece. Kilmacud Crokes: O O’Rorke 0-6 (4f); F Whitely 0-3; R Hayes 0-2; B Sheehy, D Crowe, B Hayes, A Considine, David Purcell, B Scanlan 0-1 apiece.

Na Fianna: J Tracey; M Murphy, C McHugh, S Burke; K Burke, L Rushe, P Feeney; P O’Dea, J Meagher; C Currie, S Currie, B Ryan; AJ Murphy, D Burke, T Brennan. Subs: J Kavanagh for Brennan (43), L Stacey for Meagher (58), D Clerkin for K Burke (59), S Baxter for Murphy (61), W Wheatley for S Burke (63). 

Kilmacud Crokes: E Gibbons; C Ryan, P Linehan, D Lucey; B Sheehy, M Grogan, D Crowe; F Whitely, B Hayes; C Conway, O O’Rorke, R Hayes; Dara Purcell, A Considine, B Kenny. Subs: M Roche for Dara Purcell (43), B Scanlan for O’Rorke (44), C Ó Riain for R Hayes (48), David Purcell for Considine (53), C Mac Gabhann for Grogan (55).  

Referee: Chris Mooney (St Patrick’s Palmerstown). Â