October 5th

Boden qualify for the MINOR A Semi after a 2 12 to 0 11 win over Clontarf. (Conor Sheehan reports)

Octoberfest has arrived and championship matches come thick and fast. A workmanlike performance, particularly in the second half, helped Boden to overcome a spirited Clontarf, our visitors to Sancta Maria, Sunday morning.

 

“Catch me if you can”

Tarf belied their pointless position on the table, by opening in rampant mood. Johnny Mullins, Brian Mullins nephew, attacked off the 65 and arrowing one over at the all-weather end. Garrett Crowley responded with a free, after Darragh Maguire was fouled, and  was again on target, after accepting a gift on the 40. But up pops Mullins again, hitting a beauty on his favoured left side, followed by a free from Cian O’Flaherty. Boden’s Cian Murray cleared his line, found Conor Deane, who was upended illegally and  Crowley did the rest. Whistleman, J.C. Ryan got busy in the office following some robust exchanges, booking players from both sides. Ciaran O’Brien pointed after an assist from Murray, 4 to 3. Deano found Cian Mellett and he got a beauty from the 40. Now enter the Clontarf talisman, Mullins, and a goal chance, but he fluffed his lines, escape for the home side. The next four scores were shared, Cian Kelly and Mellett for the home side and two frees for the sea-siders.

Now, Clontarf’s best chance, a penalty, after Ruadhain got in close and personal with his marker, ball in hand! Andy Lyons saved the shot and the clearance led to Rian Cannon slotting one over. Half time, Boden one up, 8 to 7.

Boden opened the second half with the wind and a free by Crowley. Another free, indirect this time, was planted into the dangerzone and after “ping-pong” in the square, Maguire prodded the ball to the net. 1.9 to 7pts. But Clontarf were not finished, Foley found O’Flaherty and he pointed a great score from the 60. He and Crowley shared points, before Mellett found Cannon and he got a beauty from about the 50. Boden had a series of goal chances, before the most unlikely of them went to the net off a shot from Deane, a rare mistake from the Tarf custodian.

Overall, Ballyboden will be happier with result more than the display. Clontarf will rue a host of missed chances and their failure to press our defence.

September 30th  – Boden Hang on to reach Senior Championship Semi.

Ballyboden 0 15 Cuala 0 14 (Report from Conor Sheehan)

The story of this game is a story of missed chances. It boiled down to a frantic last few minutes and Cuala spurning a bagful of opportunities to end Boden’s run. By then they had a stranglehold on the game, with Boden on the “backfoot” and clockwatching!

 

The title-holders could have wrapped up this tie in the opening 30, but a stack of wides ruined an otherwise near-perfect performance. Paul Ryan showed well for well placed ball and scored from play and frees. Cuala had their chances and through Gough and Connolly, kept in touch. Shane Durkin, Niall McMorrow, David Curtin and Ryan got the best of the scores, and Paul had a good goal chance, but he prodded the ball just past the post. In defence, Jamie Desmond, Stephen O’Connor and James Madden did the business, while on the Cuala side, Oisin Gough was influential.

Half Time came with Boden 12 and Cuala 6.

The second period was an altogether different affair with Cuala chalking up five unanswered points. Their corner-man was downed in the inner-sanctum after two minutes,  but a poor shot for a goal was saved. That only got their resolve going, and over the next ten minutes they dominated, with Treacy and Cronin breaking ball to create point chances. In defence, Durkin was mopping up ball as fast as it could be landed in his territory, but the real problems were elsewhere for the champions. Boden stopped the rot, when Dean Curran got the ball to Gavin Corrigan, he was fouled and Ryan got a valuable score. 13 to 11. Back came Cuala with a great score from the sixty and with Gough becoming more of a force, he was, strangely, penalised for a throw ball and Ryan punished in his usual style from seventy yards. Madden won a fifty-fifty ball and got it to Collie O’Neill, he passed to Finn McGarry, who pointed one of the best scores of the day.. With 5 minutes left, Connolly pointed from a free to leave just two in it, and with time running out, they got the difference down to just one, a fine shot from mid-field. Cuala now were in the driving seat, but spurned three chances to dump Boden out. Some good defending by Boden ensured that the tie would end on the slenderest of margins.

 

Boden: Gary Maguire, James Madden, Stephen Hiney, Stephen O’Connor, Conor Robinson, Dean Curran, Shane Durkin, David Curtin, Niall McMorrow, David O’Connor, Finn McGarry, Gavin Corrigan, Paul Ryan, Conal Keaney, Collie O’Neill, Jamie Desmond, Conor McCormack, Simon Lambert, James Roche, Eoghan O’Neill.

MVP Shane Durkin.

Next up, Crokes in the semi!

  • AHL 4 – BBSE A V St. Marks on Saturday at 12 noon in Ballycullen
  • AHL4 – BBSE B V Craobh Chiaráin on Sunday at 10.30am in Ballycullen
  • Minor A Hurlers dig deep to topple Whitehall. Report

 

  • Minor B hurlers  go down by 5 points to Naomh Barróg

Reports from previous weekend

  • The Senior A hurlers were well beaten by Crokes in their Round Robin game of the Championship. Click here for a report. Click here for a report from grassrootsgaa.ie 
  • Senior B hurlers fall to SetantaBallyboden Senior B hurlers bowed out of the championship in O’Toole Park on Sunday 14th September in the semi-final against Setanta.

    On a fine, clear day the opening tussles were evenly matched and the sides were level after ten minutes on a pair of points each, Boden scorers being Conor Dooley from a free and a fine Austen Lynch point from play. Jamie Desmond was having a storming game at centre back, picking up loose ball and winning puckouts with some great catches. Up front, Adam Jermyn and Jonathon O’Driscoll were causing problems for the Setanta defence, particularly on the left hand side. On the quarter hour mark, Chris Lambert won a puckout and ran into space before delivering a shot that was saved by the Setanta keeper. However, Naoise Greene was on hand to snap up the rebound and send the ball to the net. Setanta, however, scored the next three points from frees to bring the sides level – these were three from a total of eight granted to Setanta on the day. Further points by Greene, Kenneth Wigglesworth and Lambert left one in it at the break – Boden 1-6 Setanta 0-10.

    Boden started well in the second half with Desmond and Matty Weldon working hard in the middle of the field. The game followed a similar pattern though and Boden, despite pressure and a few goal chances, could not find the net for a second time. Paul Doherty and a brace of long range points from Desmond kept Boden in touch. Sub Donal Butler hit the post and a few chances from outfield drifted wide as the game moved into the closing stages. Further subs were introduced but unfortunately, could not unlock the northsiders’ defence and despite only having a puck of a ball between the teams, the game ended frustratingly on a scoreline of Boden 1-10 to Setanta 0-16.

    Afterwards manager Ciarán Maguire and captain Darragh O’Gorman thanked the players for their effort on the day. Boden will always be a hard team to beat and the lads upheld that record throughout the year with some great championship performances – this team will have other great days.

 

  • Junior E team fall to Setanta in Championship
  • Click here for reports on last weekend’s  Minor games