Senior and Intermediate Championships
A mixed weekend for our top two teams as the Championship brought success and failure. On Friday our Inters faced a tough task against Fingallians in their semi-final in Parnell Park in poor conditions. In an error strung game both sides found it difficult to take their scores but crucially when all was told Fins were a little more accurate. The first 20 minutes was played predominantly in the Fins half with Boden well on top but it counted for nothing because after those 20mins we found ourselves a few points down. Score while you’re on top a wise man once said and in truth we failed to do that. The game was fairly even though right up to the last minute of normal time and it took a Carl Molony point to take the game to extra time. The loss of Cormac Smyth to a black card at the end of normal time had a big impact as Fins grabbed a quick fire goal and a point in the fiirst few mins of extra time and we never recovered from that despite the players giving their all and the game ended 1-10 to 1-05. Well done to the management and players for their efforts in reaching the semi-final.
Attention then turned to the Seniors who started as favourites against Lucan in O’Toole Park on Sunday afternoon. A large crowd turned out to witness a steady if unspectactular win to set up a semi-final tie against the All-Ireland Champions St.Vincent’s. See report from GrassrootsGAA below.
Ballyboden St. Enda’s 0-14 Lucan Sarsfields 0-9 By Cilian Murphy
Ballyboden St. Enda’s produced a workmanlike performance to defeat Lucan Sarsfields in O’Toole Park today and progress to the championship semi-finals where they will meet St. Vincent’s in two weeks’ time.Boden led by 0-10 to 0-4 at half time having played with a strong wind and down the slope but their tactic of playing a sweeper and keeping the ball was ultimately what eased them over the line.Their defence was on top for large periods of the game, rarely affording the Lucan forwards any time on the ball to pick a pass or slot over scores. Some positional changes were noticeable on the Lucan team with Peter Kelly handed the man-marking responsibility of keeping Conal Keaney quiet, which for the most part he succeeded in doing. Somewhat more surprisingly, Stephen O’Shaughnessy was deployed as a link man at centre forward for Lucan. Johnny McCaffrey operated as a sweeper at the back for his side while Emmet O’Conghaile moved between midfield and full forward to great effect, particularly in the first half.And it was Boden who stamped their authority on the match early on as they raced into an early four point lead through Declan O’Mahoney (2), Andrew Kerin (free) and Ryan Basquel (free). Sean Newcombe responded for Lucan on 13 minutes with a neat effort after good build-up play from Johnny McCaffrey and the impressive Brendan Gallagher. Gallagher was getting on a huge amount of ball in the first half but his side saw very little in the way of scores from that possession as Boden made it difficult for Lucan when they got into the scoring zone.The Rathfarnham men then rattled off a further three scores in a row through Basquel (free), Sam Moloney and Kerin once more, as they raced into a 0-7 to 0-1 lead after 18 minutes.Emmet O’Conghaile took the game to Boden throughout and he pulled a score back for his side on 19 minutes. His powerful running and ability to break through the tackle could well see him involved more heavily with Jim Gavin’s Dublin squad next season.Despite being against the strong breeze, Lucan were enjoying plenty of possession but their shooting let them down as they racked up seven wides in the first half alone.The game went into a bit of a lull leading up to half time with both sides trading a couple of points apiece through Gallagher (free) and O’Conghaile for Lucan and Molony and Kerin (free) for Boden.
The half time score-line read, Ballyboden 0-10 Lucan 0-4.
Many were expecting Emmet O’Conghaile to be stationed on the Boden six-yard box for the second period, given that Lucan had the benefit of the hill and the wind. However, the positional change never materialised and Lucan were somewhat toothless in attack as a result.Boden played the wind and hill far more appropriately than Brigid’s had done in the first match by carrying the ball and keeping possession rather than playing high aimless balls into their forward line.Indeed, Conal Keaney got the first score of the second period following a spell of possession where the ball had passed through the hands of at least six Boden players. Brendan Gallagher pointed a free for Lucan on 38 minutes to punctuate a lull in scoring that had descended on the match like a winter’s fog.Sam Molony scored his hat-trick of points on 42 minutes with a superb long range effort after being teed up by Declan O’Mahoney and Aran Waters. There were no further scores for eight minutes as both side’s defences held the upper hand. O’Conghaile was the man to break the cycle with a fine individual effort on 50 minutes, taking his man out of the game with a dummy on his right before turning back and swinging over a sublime effort off his left.Brian Collopy was another man taking the game to Boden with vigour and he was rewarded for a lung-bursting run when he was awarded a free on the 45 metre line. Brendan Gallagher stepped up to reduce the deficit once more.The anticipated onslaught from Lucan never materialised as the game petered out with a series of frees scored by both teams.
Boden ran out 0-14 to 0-9 winners and they will meet St. Vincent’s in Parnell Park in two weeks’ time.
Ballyboden St. Enda’s Squad List:
D Walsh; P O’Brien; R McDaid; S O’Connor; D Nelson; B Dwan; C Flaherty; A Waters; D O’Mahoney (0-2); D O’Reilly; S Molony (0-3); S Gibbons; R Basquel (0-3, 2 frees); C Keaney (0-1); A Kerin (0-5, 2 frees); C Dooley; A Flood; K Naughton; M O’Sullivan; S Keane; C Smyth; C Dunne; T Hannifin; C Archbold; D Manley; J O’Hara; I Clarke; D McCabe; S Cullen; D McGuiness; D Buckingham; D Gogan.
Wides: 5
There was also Junior AFL action on Sunday, our Junior A’s recorded a fine 5-09 to 2-10 win over Naomh Barrog while the Junior B’s went down to Binn Eadair by 2-07 to 0-10.
Report on the Junior A game below by Noel Madden.
John Mulligan’s Junior A footballers finished the season in style with an eight point victory over Naomh Barrog in Ballycullen. Naomh Barrog had the better of the early exchanges and scored some good long range points. The Boden defence stood strong and this laid the foundation for several turnovers and exceptionally well taken goals . This put the home side in the driving seat and with the Boden midfield now taking charge, the first half ended 4 4 to 0-6. Determined to end the season on a high, Boden increased the intensity of the tackling and with better use of the hand pass, especially out of defence, the lads ran out comfortable and deserved winners.
Well done to all involved in what has been a good season for the team.
Team : Aaron O’ Reilly, Fionn Maguire, Andy Gardiner, Alan McGrath, Sean Mulligan, Brian Burns (Capt.), Rory Jordan, Evan Flanagan, Ciaran Dempsey, Sean Nixon , Damien Kenny, Cian Bates, David Gilheaney, Alan Carter, Paddy O Connell . subs: Josh Kane, John Spain, Dillon Ryan, Matt Timmons
Minor Championship
The Minor football Championship continues this weekend – full fixture details below
Boden News 2014
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