Result: 3 13 to 1 15

Ballyboden St Enda’s 3-13            Naomh Olaf 1-15

The precious 2 league points gained at Pairc Ui Bhriain on Sunday last was a marvellous achievement for our young and not so young Junior B hurlers.  The wiser older heads established a healthy 5 point half time lead through their savvy and hurling guile. Then, when most needed, the young Turks put in a storming last 5 minutes to close out a hard fought victory over a game and determined Naomh Olaf’s side.

Having been the better side for three quarters of this game, Boden saw a commanding 7 point lead whittled down to 2 with 5 minutes left.  An outstanding save from Marc MacLiam in the dying embers kept Boden in the ascendancy. From there young tyros Cillian Wall and Adam Kelleher stepped up to puck over 2 fine points to ensure victory for the away side.

Ballyboden took an early lead which subsequently proved insurmountable when Brian Cummins surprised everyone by rasping a close in free to the net in the 5th minute.  Kevin Dooley enhanced the lead in the 18th minute with a goal after a fine team move.  Olaf’s kept themselves in the game through a succession of frees and the players went for tea on a score line of Ballyboden 2-6 Olaf’s 0-7.

The second half opened on a very lively note when Olaf’s goaled after 5 minutes but Boden quickly responded with a goal of their own through the irrepressible Cummins.  Boden looked comfortably in command but a home team will always have a purple patch when pride is in question.  A succession of Olaf’s frees had the game down to squeaky bum time until the Boden lads stepped on the gas one last time to close out victory.

At the beginning of the match a minutes silence was held for Kevin Griffin and John McGreevy, father of today’s referee, Frank McGreevy.  Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.

Team:  Marc MacLiam, Brian Kirwan, Cathal Ryan, Thomas Sweeney, Ger.Keating 0-1, Cillian Wall 0-2, 1 free 1 x 65, Aidan Horgan, Benjamin Hurley, Rob Donohue, Adam Kelleher 0-3, 1free, Sean Gorman 0-2, Kevin Dooley 1-1, James Kinsella, Brian Cummins 2-2, 2 frees, James Hanrahan. Subs. Ciaran Twomey, Conor McKeown 0-2, Brian Kelleher.