Result: 0 15 to 1 10
Derby Joust fails to deliver a quality event at HQ
The annual derby match between Boden and Judes took place on Wednesday evening, round nine of the Senior Hurling League. The game had in many ways the hallmarks of Brexit, frustrating to witness and filled with uncertainty. Even when the outcome seemed to be heading in the direction of either side, the follow-up sequence of play shifted the balance in the opposite direction. Judes Danny Sutcliffe, with his brilliant individual high catch, thirty metre run and bat to the net, seemed to have settled the affair. However the response from Boden came in the form of a wondrous brace of points from Conal Keaney. This was ultimately the difference between the sides in what was a sporting contest for the entire hour.
The opening half was a tame affair with the sides sharing the sliotar for more or less equal periods of possession time. In consequence the score at the break was just 7 to 6 in favour of the home side. The best of the scores came from Conor Dooley and James Roche for Boden, whereas Sutcliffe was the main attacker for Judes. Paul Ryan showed a few good touches and contributed his usual point tally from frees. Paul Doherty also looked sharp and added a fine point after Dooley and Stephen O’Connor did the ‘donkey work’ at midfield.
The second half was very much a ‘stop-start’ type of game. Doherty and Neil Mangan shared points and kept the gap to just a score. Niall Ryan made a fine catch from a loose Judes clearance, ran along the whitewash to flash the ball over the black-spot. Sutcliffe responded with a classy point following one of at least six or seven attempts to bring him into the play. His follow-up goal seemed to have made the decisive difference between the teams, only for Aiden Mellett to flash over the equalising score within a few minutes. Back in defence Luke Corcoran and Simon Lambert were doing solid work in keeping the Judes attack under control. Keaney had the final say with a few clever assists and his own finishing, two valuable scores that will keep Boden in pole position on the league table.
Boden Squad; Gary Maguire, Malachy Travers, Luke Corcoran, David O’Connor, David Curtin, Simon Lambert, James Madden, Niall Ryan, Stephen O’Connor, Conor Dooley, Paul Doherty, James Roche, Paul Ryan, Conal Keaney, Aiden Mellett, Conor McCormack, Collie O’Neill, Shane Kennedy.