Ballymun power their way into SFC semi-final

Thu, 20th October 2016

BALLYMUN KICKHAMS 2-23 RAHENY 1-8

Ballymun Kickhams exhibited far too much quality for a battling Raheny in Thursday night’s Dublin SFC quarter-final at Parnell Park.

The game opened evenly with Alan Hubbard and Gavin Ivory, Karl Connolly and Brian Fenton exchanging points inside the opening four minutes.

However, the Mun hit the next four points – a Rock free, two from the impressive Jason Whelan and another Rock, after a foul on Kevin Leahy, to move Kickhams, who lined out without the injured James McCarthy, 0-6 to 0-2 clear.

Raheny continued to battle with Ivory adding two points later in the half with David Shatwell also adding a brace but Kickhams looked more dangerous in possession up front.

Paddy Small, a Dublin minor in 2015, grabbed the first goal of the game in the 24^th minute with an emphatic finish at the end of a clinical move involving Ted Furnan, Jason Whelan and Davey Byrne.

But four minutes later Dublin U21 of this year, Seán McMahon, drove through the heart of the Mun defence before firing past Seán Currie for a super goal to make it 1-10 to 1-6.

Before the break Ted Furman tagged on a point to give Ballymun a five-point interval lead, 1-11 to 1-6.

The game petered out well before the finish as the Mun restarted well with points from Rock (two frees) and Furman.

Raheny keeper Conor Burns also did well on two occasions – in the 38^th minute to deny Furman and six minutes later making a double save to stop Dean Rock.

The last quarter was dominated by Kickhams as Raheny tired with Paddy Small, Jason Whelan, Dean Rock (free), Rock from play, Ted Furman, Jason Whelan and Kevin Leahy all added points as Paddy Carr’s men moved 1-23 to 1-8 clear by the 55^th minute.

With two mintues to go Ted Furman flicked to the net over keeper Conor Burns to add a gloss to the final scoreline.

Highlights:

SCORERS – Ballymun Kickhams: D Rock 0-10 (0-7f, 0-1 ‘45’), T Furman 1-3, P Small 1-1, J Whelan 0-4, K Connolly, A Hubbard 0-2 each, K Leahy 0-1. Raheny: S McMahon 1-0, G Ivory 0-3, D Shatwell 0-2, B Fenton, J O’Kane (f), D Ryan 0-1 each.

BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: S Currie; L Young, Eoin Dolan, P McMahon; K Connolly, J Small, J Burke; A Elliot, D Byrne; A Hubbard, J Whelan, K Leahy; P Small, D Rock, T Furman. Subs: J Welby for Young (half-time), L O’Donovan for Connolly (47), E Reilly for Elliot (53), D Keating for Leahy (57).

RAHENY: C Burns; D Pelly, S McMahon, R Real; G Coady, E Keogh, S Byrne; B Fenton, C Talty; B Howard, D Shatwell, E Smyth; J O’Kane, CJ Heapes, G Ivory. Subs: D Ryan for Heapes (half-time), R Diffley for Pelly (33), R Donnelly for Byrne (45), P Reid for Smyth (47), L O’Shea for Coady (57), J Ryan for Shatwell (57).

REF: D Sheppard (Round Tower Lusk).