Ballyboden St Endas defeat Naomh Barróg to Preserve Senior 1 Status

PTSB DUBLIN SENIOR 1 HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP RELEGATION PLAY-OFF

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 0-23

NAOMH BARRÓG 0-17

By Daire Walsh

Ballyboden St Enda’s delivered a strong finish at O’Toole Park on Saturday to get the better of Naomh Barróg and consequently retain their PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship status.

On level terms (0-17 apiece) with their Kilbarrack counterparts just eight minutes from the end of normal time in a hard-fought relegation play-off, Ballyboden were facing the prospect of being demoted to the Senior 2 Championship for 2027. Yet the seven-time champions held their nerve when the pressure was on and came through with the victory they craved by registering six unanswered points in the space of just seven minutes.

While Niall McMorrow led the way in attack, Conor Dooley was a tower of strength at centre half-back for Ballyboden and contributed a handsome tally of 0-4. Joe Flanagan was the game’s chief scorer with 0-13 and even though Naomh Barróg ultimately came off second best in the end, they did their utmost over the course of the contest to pull off a big win.

Like the game between St Vincent’s and Faughs that preceded it, there was a strong breeze blowing down the pitch for this game. It was in favour of Ballyboden during the opening period and they took full advantage of the elements in the early moments.

With just under seven minutes gone on the clock, the Firhouse Road outfit had recorded five unanswered points through the aforementioned McMorrow (two), Dooley, Darragh Kenny and Jack Lambert. Barróg finally got up and running with a ninth-minute free from Flanagan, but Boden continued to find the range with Fiachra Codd (two) and Dooley raising white flags in quick succession.

A former goalkeeper at both club and inter-county level (with Dublin), Dooley was making a sizable impression as an anchor at the heart of the Boden defence. After his opposite number Paddy Doyle split the posts from distance, he claimed his third point of the tie via a free from deep inside his own half.

It was going according to plan up to this point for the southsiders, before Barróg came storming into the proceedings with four scores without reply courtesy of the reliable Flangan (three) and Daniel Moore – the latter firing over following a sharp turn.

Ballyboden eventually ended a 10-minute barren spell in front of the posts with an Aidan Mellett point and McMorrow also enhanced his personal haul in response to a Sean Doyle score. There was also traded efforts between Flanagan and Mellett, before the former posted yet another successful free to leave Naomh Barróg just three points adrift (0-12 to 0-9) at the interval.

Barróg were aiming to utilise a strong wind after the resumption and a ‘65’ from Flanagan two minutes into the second half helped to improve their prospects. The Kilbarrack men had picked off some nice scores in the opening 30 minutes, however, and Boden did likewise shooting into the same goal with back-to-back points from McMorrow and Luke McDwyer.

Dooley’s fourth of the day also arrived in response to Eoin Hart’s long-range contribution for Barróg, but the northsiders proceeded to take charge for the remainder of the third-quarter. Following a quartet of consecutive scores by Flanagan – all of them from placed balls – the sides were inseparable with just over 15 minutes left to play.

Boden reinforced their authority when substitute David Gleeson and McMorrow both found the target in clinical style, but momentum appeared to be with Barróg at the just the right time when Flanagan registered another brace of points to level matters on 52 minutes.

However, Boden kept their composure and with Dooley getting his hands on several Barróg deliveries, they were able to create a strong attacking platform. Thanks to points from James Madden and McMorrow (two), Ballyboden were three points to the good with the final whistle now within sight.

The introduction of substitutes like Jonathan O’Driscoll, former Tipperary hurler Timmy Hammersley and James Roche helped the Páirc Uí Murchú side at various stages and it was the latter who knocked over his team’s 21st point of the contest in the 56th minute.

Dooley subsequently launched a move that yielded a point for Madden in the closing moments and McMorrow also picked off a score from a tight left-hand angle to increase Ballyboden’s lead to six towards the end of normal time.

There was still some work required in defence as Naomh Barróg attempted to conjure a goal that might give them a fighting chance of a late comeback, but Boden held firm to preserve their top-tier place moving into next season.

Scorers – Ballyboden St Enda’s: N McMorrow 0-8 (5f), C Dooley 0-4 (2f), F Codd, A Mellett, J Madden 0-2 each, D Gleeson 0-1 (f), J Lambert, D Kenny, L McDwyer, J Roche 0-1 each. Naomh Barróg: J Flanagan 0-13 (11f, 2 ‘65’), E Hart, P Doyle, S Doyle, D Moore 0-1 each.

Ballyboden St Enda’s: C O’Donoghue; J Kennedy, F Ryan, P Dunleavy; D Durkin, C Dooley, J Lambert; S O’Connor, E Behan; F Codd, A Mellett, J Madden; D Kenny, N McMorrow, L McDwyer. Subs: D Gleeson for Kenny (20), J McGuire for O’Connor (39), J Roche for Behan (44), J O’Driscoll for Codd (55), T Hammersley for Mellett (58).

Naomh Barróg: J Rooney; M Flanagan, R Reidy, E Hart; R McDonald, P Doyle, A O’Donohue; H Nolan, M Tierney; D Duggan, C Gallagher, S Doyle; J Flanagan, N Kidd, D Moore. Subs: D Flood for Moore (41), S Ryan for Duggan (53), L Glynn for McDonald (59).

Referee: Damien Burnett (Craobh Chiarain).