Ballyboden St Endas 3 18 Thomas Davis 2 14
Long Fella Reports from Kiltipper
What a difference a day makes! From the balmy and windless conditions of Parnell Park on Tuesday evening to the wet windy climate of Kiltipper Road in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains. The home ground of Thomas Davis was the venue for the clash of Ballyboden’s senior B hurlers with Thomas Davis first team in the round robin tie of the senior B hurling championship. What the Boden senior A’s did on Tuesday, the senior B’s did twenty four hours later. Apart from the opening exchanges, Boden were largely in control of the contestthroughout. Thomas Davis gave it their best, even when they were reduced to fourteen men with rakes of time left on the clock.
With the wind blowing diagonally from the side of Killenardan Hill, the home side got off the mark with a brace of frees from Kevin Ward. Boden responded immediately with James Roche hitting a beauty off a Dean Curran pass. The sides were level when Roche doubled his evening’s tally. Ward put his side in front with a third free, and he was followed by a cracker of a goal from team-mate Liam McDonnell. Apart from a Roche free, the next flow of scores went to the home side, Ward with a brace and Sean Reilly with one from play. 0.03 to 1.06. From this point Boden went on a scoring spree, with Peter English from distance, Roche with a fader, Leon Kennedy after a ball-win off a shuddering shoulder, Roche with a classy free, Kennedy again, a goal from Mattie Weldon after Roche found him in space, and Mark Lambert from about forty metres. Score 1.09 to 1.06. McDonnell stopped the rot with a point from close range, only to see his effort equalled by Roche from a free. Roche continued his good shooting by splitting the posts from a 65. Half-time 1.11 to 1.07, with Roche on seven of the points.
The opening score of the second thirty fell to Weldon with a simple tap-over after good Boden work down the middle. English won a good ball in his territory and found substitute Darragh Kenny in some space. Kenny had goal on his mind, but he was upended on the way in. Penalty! Up stepped goalman Fergal Ryan with an unstoppable shot. Score 2.12 to 1.07. Kenny then scored his next possession, but the home side’s Reilly kept the score difference at eight points. Kennedy bagged his third point of the evening, followed by a brace for Davis, Ward with the best of them. Roche hit another free, followed by John O’Driscoll and Curran,charging into the scoring zone. Kennedy kept his good form with a quality catch and lay-off to substitute Eoghan O’Neill and Boden’s third goal. Davis kept plugging at it and were rewarded with a Daire Kerr point. Boden responded through substitute Fionn Maguire with a tidy brace from out wide. The final plays of the game were Davis attacks, a goal from McDonnell followed by a penalty shot that struck the foot of the post and to safety. Ryan made a late save to keep Davis at a safe scoring distance. The final whistle was something of a relief with fading light and deteriorating conditions.
Best for Boden were Roche in the first half, Curran, Kirwan on introduction, and Leon Kennedy over the hour. Ryan did well in goals as well as bagging the penalty, and English worked hard on the half-back line.
Squad: Fergal Ryan, Joe McGrath, Dean Curran, Barry McGuire, Kenny Wigglesworth, Keith McCarron, Peter English, David O’Connor, Davy Keogh, Leon Kennedy, John O’Driscoll, Mattie Weldon, James Roche, Mark Lambert, Conor Kennedy, Eoghan O’Neill, Darragh Kenny, Cillian Kirwan, Fionn Maguire, Cian Mellett.