Baile Buadáin Naomh Éanna 1 17  Na Fianna 3 10 

Nach deas aistear fada tráthnóna Dé hAoine trasna na cathrach ar an M50? Ní shílim é go speisialta mar má fhilleann abhaile agus an dá chleite síos agat i ndiaidh ceacht maith iomána a fháil. Ach ní mar sin a thit cúrsaí amach an tráthnóna séimh seo. Ní raibh muid ag súil le fáilte mhór ar Bhóthar Naomh Mobhí ach bhí muid ag súil le hiomaíocht den scoth, cur agus cúiteamh agus taispeántas maith iomána. Cosúil leis an trácht í féin bhí an turas abhaile i bhfad níos taitneamhaí.

It was a cagey start from the two sides on St Mobhí Road last Friday evening. These two serious hurling outfits were never going to be too far apart, however conceding three goals in the first half was not part of the Boden playbook. Jim Kennedy was the first Boden man to try his luck after some great work from Matthew Ormsby.  Connell McGlynn was next up after some tidy work by Leon Kennedy and Boden had their first score on the board. However Na Fianna are no slouches and quickly replied with a tidy score of their own to leave the scoreboard level. Leon again turned provider after four minutes as he passed a beautiful ball into Cian Kelly who took a great score off his left side. Cian Durkin who was exceptionally industrious from the start was fouled on his way to goal after 11 minutes. Connell McGlynn stepped up but the sliotar struck the right upright and rebounded. Oisín Byrne, alive as ever, was on to it like a shot, and put it over the bar. Cian Kelly and Cian Durkin continued to press the na Fianna backs which led to a turnover on 13 minutes which Oisín gratefully pointed again.

Rhys McDonnell occupied the full forward position and continued to put serious pressure on the full back and the keeper. From the next play some Rhys pressure led to a turnover ball which Cian Kelly gratefully accepted and scored from a tight angle on the left wing.

The next ten minutes involved a bit of May Madness. Moses himself could not have engineered a greater path through the Boden defence. The concession of not one but three goals in such a short period would be enough to kill off any regular opposition. But these lads are anything but regular opposition. We needed a bit of inspiration and a lot of perspiration to pull ourselves back in to this match especially considering that we were playing with the hill in the first half!  After 18 minutes some great work again from Cian Durkin in the corner turned over the ball and a good cross to Rhys in the centre allowed him time to drill the ball in to the back of the net.

Leon Kennedy took a great point of his right hand side after 20 minutes and this was shortly followed by a sixty five which Josh Corcoran put over with a fine strike.

Na Fianna led 3-4 to 1-8 ag half time.

Cé go ndeachaigh trí chúl isteach sa chéad leath bhí sé suntasach nach bhfuair na Fianna ach seacht scór sa tréimhse sin. Naoi scór a bhí ag Baile Buadáin sa tréimhse chéanna. Bhí na comharthaí ann go raibh ráta níos airde scórála ag Baile Buadáin Naomh Éanna agus go mbeadh an bua againn dá leanfadh an patrún céanna sa dara leath. Agus is mar sin a tharla.

Seán Bury came in for the hard working Seán Wall at half-time. We needed a quick start to the second half and possibly had a bit of luck when the referee called the play back for a throw ball as the Fianna hit the net yet again. Jim Kennedy popped up two minutes later to score one of many fantastic points of the evening. Darragh Brooks then entered the fray for Conor Casey, who put in an excellent shift at midfield. John Farrington-Fury made an explosive entrance in the second half and his energy reinvigorated the forward line.

Na Fianna were proving very difficult to shake off. Seán O’ Shea, however, is always a man to steady the ship and his inspirational defensive play in the second half when he took possession of the sliotar and burst through half the Na Fianna squad upped the ante somewhat. He laid the ball off to Jim Kennedy who finished the move off with the score of the game from the left side of midfield. It was nip and tuck all the way through the game with Na Fianna able to respond to anything that Ballyboden could throw at them. When Na Fianna went one point up with two or three minutes left it really looked a bridge too far.  But this is a fantastic young side. A quick puck out from Eoin Mac Pháidín found the returning Hugh O’Sullivan to point. When the referee blew up for another Boden free we just knew that Rhys was not going to miss. A clinical end to a clinical performance.

An excellent day on the north side and delighted to turn return to the south side with all the points in the dirty kit bag.

Eoin Mac Pháidín, Barry  McGuire, Cian Durkin, Cian Kelly (0-3), Connell McGlynn (0-1), Conor Casey, Darragh  Brooks, David Gannon, Hugh O’Sullivan (0-1), Jim  Kennedy (0-2), John  Farrington (0-2), Josh Corcoran (0-1), Leon  Kennedy (0-2), Matthew Ormsby, Oisín  Byrne, Ollie  Brophy, Rhys McDonnell (0-1), Sean  O’Shea, Seán  Wall, Seán Bury

Laoch na hImeartha: Jim Kennedy

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