Senior football league v Na Fianna in Mobhi Road on 5 March 2023

Ballyboden St Endas 3 – 9

Na Fianna 1 – 13

The home team was first to score after three minutes but Daire Sweeney cancelled this out when he converted a free. Na Fianna seemed to be finding it easier to score and rattled off four more points (1 free) by the 15th minute. It could have been different if only Ross McGarry’s shot had not rebounded off the post when it looked certain to be a goal. Daire Sweeney again converted a free. Na Fianna then went six points ahead when they scored a goal on 17 minutes. However, when Ryan Basquel finished to the net, after a good pass from James Holland, and Kieran Kennedy fired over the bar, Boden were back in the match. Na Fianna scored three more points before half-time but Boden kept in touch when Daire Sweeney and Ross McGarry scored from play. However, Boden’s prospects of winning two league points were not looking good when Colm Basquel was shown a straight red card following an incident with a Na Fianna player. The halftime score was 1 – 8 to 1 – 5 in favour of the home team.

At the start of the 2nd half, Boden brought on experienced players, Darren O’Reilly, Alan Flood and Donogh McCabe, to help steady the ship. Na Fianna scored the first two points of the half but, despite being a man down, Boden stuck to the process and were rewarded with a fine drop-kicked point by James Holland from a tight angle. Daire Sweeney converted a free and then, when Donogh McCabe’s punched effort for a point fell short, Josh Hayes followed up and finished the ball to the net. The sides were now level. However, Na Fianna went ahead again with nearly 20 minutes gone. Then, when Ciarán O’Reilly crossed the ball from a tight angle on the left of the goal, Ross McGarry met it with a fist and finished it to the net to put his side two points ahead with 10 minutes still remaining. Boden were defending as if their lives depended on it and, while Na Fianna reduced the deficit to one point twice more, on each occasion, Boden responded, first when Ross McGarry and later Alan Flood scored crucial points from play to leave Boden ahead by two points when the final whistle finally sounded.

TEAM: Hugh O’Sullivan; Shane Clayton; Jack Lambert; Cathal Flaherty; Kieran Kennedy; Josh Hayes; Leo McHugh; Robert Cullen; James Holland; Ross McGarry; Ciarán O’Reilly; Colm Basquel; Daire Sweeney; Ryan Basquel; Mikey Dunne. SUBS USED: Darren O’Reilly; Alan Flood; Donogh McCabe.