Ballyboden St Enda’s v Foxrock Cabinteely, Senior Football Championship Semi Final.
Kilbogget Park, Wednesday 02/09/2020

The Championship road ended for our Ladies Senior footballers last Wednesday in Kilbogget Park, home of 5 times Champions Foxrock Cabinteely, on a final score line of 4.13 to 3.10.
What a game this proved to be however as Ballyboden shot out of the blocks from the word go taking a 2.1 to 0.0 lead courtesy of a brace of goals from Valerie Mulcahy making her first start of the Championship wearing no.13 on her back, the same number she wore with such distinction for her native Cork for most of her 10 All Ireland wins. Foxrock however are 5 times Champions for a reason and they quickly got themselves back into the game with goals from Sinead Loughran and Kerry native Andrea Murphy to leave the teams level at the water break 2.3 each.

During the second quarter, Foxrock began to assert their authority. Further goals from Wexford’s Ashling Murphy and Loughran with Boden’s scores coming mainly from the boot of Natalia Hyland, the visitors trailed at half time 4.6 to 2.5.
However after the break ‘Boden showed that they were not going to exit without a fight and with wonderful individual performances from the likes of Claire King, Jenny Walsh, Hannah Leddy and the Ruddy sisters Rachel and Ciara as well as substitutes Claire Kirwan and Simmone Reilly (who ended up scoring 1.1)
In fact it is probably a little unfair to mention these players by name as if ever there was a 20 player team performance this was it. We out scored Foxrock in the second half,1.5 to 0.7 and left everything possible on the pitch.
The competitiveness, speed and intensity of the game left those who were lucky enough to see it in awe of the commitment of both teams but in the end Foxrock’s experience and know how at this level was just sufficient to get them over the line.
Mulcahy’s Marvel’s can only get better from this experience.

We wish Foxrock Cabinteely all the best in their search for six next Saturday against Kilmacud Crokes in the Senior Championship Final.

Many thanks to John Kirwan who dashed from work to capture the game through his lens.
For more photos, see here