A blistering first half performance by our Senior Footballers paved the way for an impressive 3-14 to 0-12 victory over Garrycastle in the Leinster SFC Semi-final in Mullingar on Sunday. Robbie McDaid’s early goal after a surging run spurred us on to a sumptuous half of football from the men in blue and white, where they dominated all facets of the game in front of a large travelling support. Legendary Westmeath footballer Dessie Dolan (playing in his last competitive game) did his best to get his side back into the match with 3 well taken frees but further goals from Collie Basquel and James Holland put paid to any chance of a comeback from Garrycastle. Congratulations to the players and management on reaching our second Leinster final which will be against Eire Og on December 8th.
Senior football v Garrycastle, Leinster championship semi final, 24 November 2019, Cusack Park, Mullingar.
Ballyboden St Endas 3 – 14
Garrycastle 0 – 12
Garrycastle were first off the mark with a point from a free in the first minute. Boden took over then with Collie Basquel pointing a free followed by a great goal by Robbie McDaid when he raced through the home defence and finished to the net with his left foot. Further points by Collie Basquel (2), Alan Flood and Ross McGarry put the side 7 points up with just 11 minutes gone. Garrycastle got two points back but during this period Warren Egan had a good goal chance and Ross McGarry’s shot for a point hit the top of the post and was adjudged to have gone over the post and therefore was waved wide. With 10 minutes left, Ryan Basquel fired over three points from play, one with his less favoured right foot while Alan Flood and Ross McGarry also pointed. Garrycastle got two points back in this period, leaving the half time score at 1 – 10 to 0 – 5.
An 8-point lead at this stage looked fairly safe as the second half commenced but Garrycastle started positively and converted three frees in the first five minutes to bring the lead down to five points. Robbie McDaid raised the siege with a surging run forward before laying the ball off to Ross McGarry who pointed. Garrycastle cancelled this out with another free but Robbie McDaid then broke through again and took his own point. Darren O’Reilly added to this score before Darragh Gogan made a great save to keep Garrycastle from reducing the lead to four points. Garrycastle missed the resultant 45 but soon after Darragh was called on again to make another great save which he turned over the bar. With 7 minutes left on the clock, Collie Basquel scored a goal to give the team and supporters some breathing space. James Holland came off the bench and, after a pass from Sean Gibbons, James burst through and finished with a rocket to the net and finished the game as a contest. Garrycastle did manage two more points, one free and the other a save by Darragh Gogan when he knocked the ball over the bar as it was dipping into the goal. Conal Keaney finished the Boden scoring with a pointed free.
It is now on to the Leinster final on Sunday week against Éire Óg of Carlow.
TEAM: Darragh Gogan; Bob Dwan; Shane Clayton; Kieran Kennedy; Sean Gibbons; Robbie McDaid; Brian Bobbett; Donagh McCabe; Declan O’Mahony; Darren O’Reilly; Collie Basquel; Alan Flood; Ross McGarry; Ryan Basquel; Warren Egan. SUBS USED: Michael Darragh Macauley; Conal Keaney; James Holland; Tom Hayes; Cian Murray; Ciarán O’Reilly.
Photos by John Kirwan
Posted by BodenGAA on Sunday, November 24, 2019