Result: 4 15 to 1 16
Bodens Inter Hurlers bag important win and first points of the season.
Our visitors to cold and windy Ballycullen set out their stall early on with great sores from lively forwards, Cian Walsh (2) and Killian Crookes. Michael Griffin responded with a free. Back came Commercials and they won a free close in. Corner man Danny Murphy, realising that his side would need a good lead with the wind at their backs, went for the goal, but the ball came back to him for a second go. 1.3 to a point. Cian Mellett latched onto the next breaking ball in the middle third, got it to Niall O’Neill. His shot was blocked, but there was Fionn Maguire on hand to tap in.
Between two Griffin frees, former Boden juvenile. Donnacha Corcoran angled a fine score over for the Naas Road men. His teammate Murphy added again, before Mattie O’Sullivan, having picked up a knock, and now in an unfamiliar role at the point of the attack, pointed, a pass from Fionn. Minutes later it was again Mattie, enjoying his new posting. Tactically, the Boden set-up was now trying to control possession in the middle third by using Eamonn Gorman and Griffin in deeper roles. Griffins next free was a beauty, seventy yards into the teeth of the wind. 1.6 to 1.7. Back in defence we had sterling performances from Andy Hand and Cathal Ryan, though sometimes courting sanction. Ronan Sharkey in the goals gave an assured performance.
Commercials had their best spell and Murphy (2), Kelly and Walsh gave them a cushion of five. Back came Boden with Griffin on the free line, Alan O’Connor upended. The last two scores of the half came to Boden, a fine effort from the influential Aiden Dundon and the move of the half, Ross Cullen to Rian Cannon and onto Joe Mernagh-GOAL! Half Time 2.8 to 1.12.
Within a minute of the restart, Griffin levelled, Gorman felled illegally. Frees were exchanged, before another goal for Boden got the home support going. Mattie got the ball to Mernagh, a pass to Dundon who hit the onion-sack. Commercials pain was not over, enter Mossie”giant” Nagle and a high catch, and the point. Within a minute Griffin had the ball in the net off a free out-country and it was game over. It went in unhindered.
More points came our way, Griffin as assured as ever from the free line and Maguire with a beauty in tight space.
The remaining minutes petered out in fractious interruption, but there was one significant moment, the return to hurling action after thirty months injury of Brian McCarthy, a hugely important event in the life of this stylish stickman.
BODEN; Ronan Sharkey, Andy Hand, Cathal Ryan, Ronan Glynn, Ross Cullen, Cian Mellett, Alan O’Connor, Rian Cannon, Mattie O’Sullivan, Eamonn Gorman, Aiden Dundon, Michael Griffin, Fionn Maguire, Joe Mernagh, Mossie Nagle, Brian McCarthy, Niall O,Neill, Alan McGrath, David Gilheany.