Sen A Hurlers Reach the Quarter Finals with win over Craobh Chiaráin

Sen A team  Reach Quarter Finals 

The Long Fella Reports from Sun Drenched PUM

Photos by Miriam Doyle and Clíona Mellett

Ballyboden St Endas 2 20 Craobh Chiaráin 2 10

A good week for the club’s top mens teams was confirmed at HQ on Saturday evening in front of a Covid crowd when the home side accounted for Craobh Chiaran. The sides were well aware of their qualification position as they lined out in glorious summer weather. It was a case of a win to guarantee progress to the quarter finals. Boden benefited hugely from two fine goals from Pearse Christie and Paul Ryan. Christie’s bullet of a shot came after some quality team play and a measured pass from Aiden Mellett. This put Boden in the ascendancy by six points a few minutes into the second quarter. Ryan’s rasper into the visitors net came after the referee Chris Mooney whistled the final quarter into action. Boden’s net minder Finn McGarry spotted Ryan in oceans of territory and he took full advantage by running forty yards and firing high into the far corner of the net.

The game opened in its expected flurry of action and some manly shoulders. Games between these sides have almost always been strenuous affairs. That said it was the home side who raced into a lead thanks to points from Niall Ryan (Keaney assist), Keaney off a Niall McMorrow pass, a long-ranger off the rail white-wash from Paul Doherty, and a Paul Ryan 65. The visitors replied with a Cian Derwin free, the first of his tally of 2.09. Bear in mind Chiarans total for the evening. In between Keaney had the visitors goal at his mercy but his shot was well parried. Ryan followed with pointed frees and McMorrow took Mellett’s pass and converted it expertly. Derwin stopped the rot with the first of his goals, although McGarry had all but repulsed his effort only for the attacker staying the course to prod the sliotar home. Score now 7 pts to 1.01. McMorrow continued the point taking for Boden followed by Mellett after a suberb trade-mark turn and strike. The teams took on some well-earned water with the home side on nine points.

Derwin opened the scoring on resumption with a brace, only for Christie to take his chance as a blood sub to stretch Bodens lead to six points. In defence Simon Lambert was dominant for Boden, while in the crowded middle third, James Madden and Conor McKeown were gaining the upper hand. The quarter continued more or less’ even steven’ with Derwin cancelling out some of the Boden scores, but not a superb effort from Paul Ryan off the rail white-wash. By the half-hour Boden held a five point lead……all to play for. A significant feature of Boden’s opening half play was their ability to pounce on loose ball from batted clearances.

Boden raced into a generous lead on the resumption with Ryan frees and a Keaney beauty after Christie passed him. Immediately the latter was upended on the run only for Ryan to heap further misery on the Craobh. By the second water break Boden had a lead of ten points, the last of which came from Niall Ryan and his usual fleet of foot. The feature of the final quarter was Chiaran’s play for goals, only one of which was conceded, Derwin again the marksman. This cancelled the fine opportunist goal from Paul Ryan. Boden’s defence held firm under considerable pressure with Luke Corcoran, Stephen O’Connor and Lambert holding their lines. Ryan continued his almost perfect free-taking and maintained a generous margin to the final whistle.

Boden now look forward to the quarter finals and will hope to progress off the back of this balanced team performance. Incidently the match programme featured a fine tribute to the late Brendan Moran. Also two names stood out on the team sheet, Waterford-man Richie Foley, a recent signing, and Stephen Hiney who was last featured in a championship team list four years ago.

Squad; Finn McGarry, Stephen O’Connor, Luke Corcoran, David O’Connor, Shane Durkin, Simon Lambert, Dean Curran, Conor McKeown, James Madden, Niall Ryan, Niall McMorrow, Conal Keaney, Paul Ryan, Paul Doherty, Aiden Mellett, Eoghan O’Neill, Seanie McDonald, Luke McDwyer, Paddy Dunleavy, Richie Foley, james Roche, David Curtin, Pearse Christie, Kevin Desmond, Kenny Wigglesworth, Conor McCormack, Conor Robinson, Stephen Hiney.