Result: 3-13 to 0-15

Ryan and Colm Basquel contributed 3-07 between them to help Ballyboden ease past Na Fianna in the Dublin SFC Quarter-Final in Parnell Park on Saturday evening. A goal in each half from Ryan Basquel sandwiched an effort from brother Colm as Boden quickly ran away with proceedings in Donnycarney. After a cagey start, Boden flexed their muscles and hit Na Fianna for 2-03 for the loss of a single point inside seven first half minutes. Boden looked a different animal to the side that limped to a lacklustre draw with Oliver Plunkett’s two weeks ago and looked a class above their North Dublin opponents. Ryan Basquel was Boden’s point-scorer-in-chief against Plunkett’s and he picked up where he left off; hitting each of Boden’s three opening scores as the sides traded early scores. The impressive Aran Waters landed his solitary point of the evening from a tight angle to give Boden the lead on the quarter-hour mark, but his effort was quickly cancelled out by Dublin panellist Conor McHugh, who was one of Na Fianna’s brightest sparks all evening.

That would be the last time the sides were level, however, as Boden would soon move three clear and never look back when Ryan Basquel struck for his first goal. Basquel picked up a loose ball and fired to the bottom corner after a surging Darren O’Reilly run. Colm Basquel got in on the scoring act moments later when he kicked his first point of the day after the evergreen Conal Keaney found him with a glorious crossfield ball. Keaney kicked a point from range to move Boden five clear and Darren O’Reilly quickly added another to put two goals between the sides. Boden were completely dominant, with Michael-Darragh MacAuley and Declan O’Mahony lording the aerial battle in midfield. Na Fianna’s kick out had well and truly been cracked and it yielded both possession and scores for Boden all afternoon.

A Conor McHugh point after a give and go helped to stem the tide momentarily, but Boden had their second goal within 60 seconds to effectively end the tie as a contest. Again, Colm Basquel was the beneficiary of a glorious Conal Keaney pass. Keaney split the Na Fianna defence with a pinpoint through ball, and Basquel did the rest; calmly dispatching the one-on-one with aplomb. Basquel and Keaney both added points as the half drew to a close, with Keaney’s effort catching the eye as one of the scores of the day. Keaney showed the monstrous power of his left boot when he landed a huge score from the sideline near the 45 to put the icing on a near perfect first half performance.

Na Fianna opened the second half scoring within 30 seconds with a nice score from centre-forward Michael Deegan, but any aspirations of a fight back were quickly dashed when Boden were awarded a penalty after a foul on Robbie McDaid following a brilliantly worked kick out. Ryan Basquel emphatically dispatched the penalty for Boden’s third three-pointer of the game to put 11 points between the sides. After a Robbie McDaid point, Ryan Basquel added another when he cut inside and landed what is fast becoming a trademark score. Boden would not score again for 16 minutes, however, as they began to wind down the clock. That allowed Na Fianna to come back into the game somewhat as they reeled off five points in a row. But Boden were never in any real danger and points from Ryan Basquel and Keaney enabled them to see out a seven-point win with relative comfort, despite losing both Michael-Darragh MacAuley and Cathal Flaherty to late dismissals.

Discipline could be a cause for concern for management as three players have now been given their marching orders in the last two games. Luckily, both players will not serve suspensions as both dismissals were second yellow card offences, but any future dismissals will undoubtedly prove more costly.  

Report by Shane O’Brien: Pics by Troy Gogan here

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