Ballyboden hope to extend Leinster SFC journey

Ballyboden St Enda's hope to extend their Leinster club SFC dreams when they face Westmeath's Garrycastle in Sunday's provincial semi-final in Cusack Park, Mullingar (1.30).

It will be almost ten years to the day since the Westmeath champions defeated Boden at the same stage when overcoming Dublin's representatives 1-8 to 0-6 at Cusack Park (November 22, 2009).

Some of the same players are still leading the way for the southside club as Michael Darragh Macauley and Darragh Nelson lined out while Conal Keaney, who was stricken by flu, came on as a sub with ten minutes remaining.

Current midfielder Declan O'Mahony was suspended while current selector, Kenny Naughton, was injured.

Boden, typical of this time of year, have battled their way to victory in the last two championship games - their Dublin SFC1 win over Thomas Davis and then when overcoming Louth's Newtown Blues in their AIB Leinster club semi-final.

Anthony Rainbow's men finished strongly to overcome the champions of the Wee County (1-11 to 0-5) at the Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda two weeks' ago.

The sides were level 0-3 each at half-time after an uneventful opening 30 minutes bar the dismissal of Boden defender Cathal Flaherty towards the close of the half and with 15 minutes remaining the sides were still deadlocked 0-5 apiece.

However, the introduction of experienced duo Conal Keaney and Michael Darragh Macauley inspired Boden to victory and set up this Sunday's clash against Garrycastle.

Two Colm Basquel points, the second a free following a foul on Robbie McDaid, edged the Dublin champions two points clear inside the concluding ten minutes and they kept the foot to the floor to run out nine-point victors.

Keaney contributed two points from play after being brought into the fray while Macauley’s all-action display helped his side into the winner’s enclosure.

Ryan Basquel chipped over a penalty, following a foul on Macauley, to make it 0-8 to 0-5 as the game moved into added time with his younger brother Colm then fisted a point before he finished clinically to the net following good approach play from the influential Macaculey.

Ballyboden St Enda's manager Anthony Rainbow praised the impact of his subs after that game.

"There was nothing in it at half-time. There really wasn’t. I think if you look at our second half performance in terms of our bench - Mick (Macauley) coming on, Conal Keaney coming on, they made a huge difference to us. James Holland came on and gave us more pace around midfield.

“Seán Gibbons came on and was very composed around the defence. So I think the subs that we made really drove it on.

“Then you look at Colm Basquel and Ryan Basquel - the amount of touches they got in the game were really above everybody else. So it’s a combination of a lot of things but I think in general, if you look at the conditioning of the players that really had a lot to do with it in the last 10 or 15 minutes."

Opponents Garrycastle, who have won the Westmeath SFC title on eight occasions since being formed in 1981, came from eight points in arrears at half-time to defeat St Loman's in their county decider before holding off a rally by Meath's Rataoth (3-11 to 2-12) in their Leinster semi-final to set up Sunday's clash.

The other Leinster club SFC semi-final takes place this Saturday evening when Portlaoise (Laois) host Eire Og (Carlow) in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise (7.0).

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2009 LEINSTER CLUB SFC SEMI-FINAL

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22: Cusack Park, Mullingar

GARRYCASTLE (Westmeath) 1-8 BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S 0-6

GARRYCASTLE: C Mullen; P Rattigan, J Gaffey, E Mulvihill; M McCallon (1-0), K Henson, D Harte; S O’Donoghue, D O’Shaughnessy (0-1); P Dillon (0-1, a free), J Duignan (0-1), J Dolan; P Mulvihill (0-1), G Dolan (0-1), D Dolan (0-3, 0-1f). Subs: A Browne for Mulvihill (51, inj), S O’Reilly for Dillon (54), D Hermbusche for J Dolan (60).
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S (pictured, above): D Walsh; J O’Hara, I Clarke, M O’Sullivan; D Nelson, D Kiernan, C Dolan; M McAuley, P Galvin; D Davey, S Hiney (0-1), C Smyth (0-1); S Durkin, S Lambert (0-1), A Kerin (0-2). Subs: C Hiney for Davey (48), C Keaney (0-1, 0-1 '45') for Dolan (50).
REF: E Kinsella (Laois).

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23

AIB Leinster Club Junior Football Championship Semi Final
Trim (1.30) Clann na nGael (Meath) v Ballymore Eustace (Kildare) Ref: Stephen Murphy (Louth)

AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship Semi Finals
Thomastown (1.30) Mullinavat (Kilkenny) v Rosenallis (Laois) Ref: Eamon O Connor (Offaly)
Stabannon Parnells (2.0) Mattock Rangers (Louth) v Dunlavin (Wicklow) Ref: Alan Coyne (Westmeath)

AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship Semi Final
O'Moore Park, Portlaoise (7.0) Portlaoise (Laois) v Eire Og (Carlow) Ref: Patrick Maguire (Longford)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24

AIB Leinster Club Junior Football Championship Semi Final

O’Kennedy Park, New Ross (1.30) Rathgarogue Cushinstown (Wexford) v Shannonbridge (Offaly) Ref: Stephen Fagan (Wicklow)

AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship Semi Final

TEG Cusack Park Mullingar (1.30) Garrycastle (Westmeath) v Ballyboden St Enda's (Dublin) Ref: David Gough (Meath)

- Extra-time and winner on the day if necessary