Result: 1 09 to 1 18
Least said soonest mended – The Shepherd Reports from Marino
Positives: The sun shone on Páirc Naomh Uinsionn this morning as the lads took to the field. It was a clear blue sky and Dublin looked beautiful. Ballyboden started the game well. Jack Lambert gave a display of catching in the goal for the entire game that was a credit to him. Conor Lowe was brilliant at full back. We finished the first half 1-7 to 0-9 leading by a point. Ciarán O’Reilly and Peter Gannon got a point a piece, Luke Mc Dwyer bagged a brace, Cillian Wall got the goal and Feargal Ryan scored three from placed balls.
The second half was a different matter altogether. We were outplayed all over the park. We could not match Vincents for intensity and all credit to them they worked tirelessly, tackling in twos and threes, not giving an inch and taking their scores when they got their chances. As the half progressed their confidence was a factor (as one wordsmith put it on the line their goo was definitely up!). All we could manage for the entire half was two Feargal Ryan frees. Vincents scored 1-9 leaving the final score BBSE 1-9 St Vincents 1-18. The Northsiders scored eight points from frees (and put quite a few wide). On top of giving away a cartload of frees we couldn’t win breaking ball for the full sixty minutes. The lads will have to go away, lick their wounds and use this lesson to motivate themselves to train harder and bring far more intensity to their game if they are to have a chance at championship success after the summer.
Team: Jack Lambert, Jack Kenny, Conor Lowe, Ciarán Mc Donald (Matthew Fitzpatrick 45), Patrick Dunleavy, Ruairí Mac Mathúna, Joe Mc Grath, Cillian Kirwan, Seán O’Donnell (Pearce Christie 40), Luke Mc Dwyer, Peter Gannon, Feargal Ryan, Malachy Codd (Cillian Wall 20), Cian Corcoran, Ciarán O’Reilly (Adam Kelleher 35).