St Judes eased past Lucan Sarsfields into the final of the Dublin Senior Football Championship with a seven-point victory on Saturday evening.
The Man of the Match for Judes had a familiar name, though not one usually associated with Dublin football. Pat Spillane Jnr - son of eight-time Kerry All-Ireland winner Pat Spillane - kicked three points from midfield as his side won 1-18 to 3-5.
"His fingerprints were all over everything good that Judes did today," former Dublin footballer Noelle Healy told RTÉ after the game.
The final against Kilmacud Crokes will be just the third time that Judes have played in the senior decider. The Templeogue club has never won the title.
6 November 2021; Pat Spillane of St Jude's in action against Derek Cahill of Lucan Sarsfields during the Go Ahead Dublin Senior Football Championship semi-final at Parnell Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
"It's brilliant. It's unbelievable," Pat Spillane Jnr told RTÉ.
"I know I'm only new to the side after coming in two years ago, but there's lads who've been knocking on the door for 10 or 15 years, and it means to much to them. To get to the final stage again, and have a craic at it, it's an unbelievable feeling.
"I know we're coming up from the country, but this is our homebase now in Dublin for the foreseeable. They've taken us all in.
"It's no different if it's the country lads or the Judes lads, we're all the one team here. We have a brilliant unit, a brilliant mix, a brilliant panel, and that's including the senior and intermediate team. There's a great group of 40 lads.
"[Playing for each other], that's the way we play. I don't know how many subs we brought in. Everyone empties the tank, going back, going forward."
Jeez Pat Spillane junior looks like a different guy since he went from Templenoe to St Judes - he's really slimmed down and looks very athletic. Kicked 3 good points today from midfield and took a deserved man of the match as his side go to the Dublin Senior Chp final.
— Daniel Kearney (@dankearney48) November 6, 2021
Five years ago, Spillane Jnr - along with cousins and now Kerry senior players Adrian and Killian Spillane - was part of the Templenoe side which won the All-Ireland Junior Club Football Championship with victory over Ardnaree Sarsfields.
Templenoe have since reached senior level in the Kingdom. Last weekend, they defeated divisional side Shannon Rangers in the first round of the Kerry SFC, and will face Dr Crokes in the quarter-finals.
Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
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