Ballyboden St. Endas 2 25 St. Oliver Plunketts ER 1 17
Long Fella Reports from O’ Toole Park
And it started all over again! the Dublin Senior A Hurling championship, the contests of truth have begun. Left behind are the “trial” games and the “sure it is only the league” games. O’Toole Park hosted the opening game of the championship on Wednesday evening on a grassy and perfectly manicured surface against a team who came to Boden HQ only a few weeks ago and set down a marker in anticipation of this important contest. In the time gap, the league title was won by Boden on the same pitch. The challenge for both sides is simple, gather enough results in the round-robin games to ensure a run in the knock-outs. The Navan Road side fielded some changes to their line-out, particularly with the return of inter-county player Cian Boland. Boden kept faith with the same fifteen that beat Na Fianna in the league final, albeit that some positional changes were evident on the team-sheet.
As a contest the first half had the feel of a league game and lacked the championship bite. The game really opened up half-way through the second thirty when Plunketts went into overdrive and created some goal chances, one of which got the pulses racing when Ben McSweeney hit the onion sack after gathering the ball thirty metres out. Quality points were also added to a single point margin and the upset was “on”. The Boden reaction was immediate and elusive forward Niall McMorrow took the pass from Paul Ryan, on advantage, and sent the ball past goalman Bill McCormack. From this point the game petered out as a contest, with Boden running out on an eleven-point margin. Plunketts failed to score late on, flattering Boden to some extent.
The key score of the opening half was a goal from Conor Dooley after a fluid attack with midfielder Aiden Mellett in the thick of it. But more significant for Boden was the running play of Niall Ryan off the middle and three valuable points. His form was to continue right through, as opposed to that of Boland for Plunketts. He was arguably more effective than Niall for the opening half, but faded later. His point from the forty metres was sweet, one of a brace. McMorrow hit three points, a measure of his current hot streak of form. Simon Lambert hit his customary long-ranger and Mellett bagged a brace, as did Adam Kelleher. Boden’s Dublin defender James Madden found the target from eighty metres, as well as laying on the passes for a couple of points. Plunketts had Ger Ryan in top form from placed balls and Neil Clerkin bagged a brace from play. Half time 1.12 to 0.12.
The first three scores of the second half fell to Boden, Adam Kelleher, Paul from a 65, and Sean McDonnell from a considerable distance. Ger Ryan and Paul exchanged points, and Clerkin hit his second of the evening. The McSweeney goal came next and the margin was at the minimum. Lambert relieved some of the pressure after Mellett laid on the pass. However, the margin was again at just a point when Brian McDonnell and McSweeney scored. That was about as good as it got for Plunketts as Boden went on a scoring free starting with the McMorrow goal and six points from Paul, Madden, Niall, McMorrow, Paul again, and McMorrow. Substitute Conal Keaney completed the Boden scoring with a tasty effort.
Boden’s final tally included just five points from placed balls. Their play total is a handsome figure, perhaps matching similar totals from seventy-minute matches. Another point to note was the absence of “rucks” and congested play. Boden’s close-out was comforting to watch, but perhaps it was helped by their apparent high level of fitness, an observation from a spectator up from Kilkenny for the evening. Referee Ciaran O’Reilly did an excellent job, being almost invisible on the pitch.
Best wishes to Conor Dooley on his forthcoming wedding this week – he escaped without injury and that’s a relief to his bride and the wedding party.
Squad; Matty Nolan, Rob Leddy, James Madden (0.02), Luke Mulligan-Lynch, Stephen O’Connor, Simon Lambert (0.01), Sean McDonnell (0.01), Niall Ryan (0.04), Aiden Mellett (0.02), Conor Dooley (goal), Niall McMorrow (1.05) , Luke McDwyer, Paul Ryan (6 points, 5f), Timmy Hammersley, Adam Kelleher (0.03), Conor O’Donoghue, Eoin Behan, Cillian Kirwan, Kevin Desmond (for James Madden), Conal Keaney (for Sean McDonnell) (0.01), Jack Lambert, Pearce Christie (for Adam Kelleher), Barry McGuire, Mal Codd, Shane Durkin (for Timmy), Paddy Dunleavy (for Stephen O’Connor)
Thansk to John Kirwan for the photos. Click here