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BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 4-23
NA FIANNA 3-9
A dominant opening quarter set the tone as Ballyboden St Enda’s eased past Na Fianna by seventeen points in their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship encounter at Parnell Park on Friday night.
Goals from Darren O’Reilly, Daire Sweeney and James Holland were just reward for Boden’s supremacy in the first-half with two green flags from Brian O’Leary at the opposite end partially limiting the damage as Na Fianna trailed by 3-15 to 2-3 at the interval.
A 43rd minute goal from Ryan O’Dwyer ended any optimistic hopes of a Na Fianna comeback with a black card received by Shane Clayton arriving far too late to alter the complexion of this one-sided match, despite O’Leary completing his hat-trick in injury time.
Despite an early couple of wides from Ross McGarry, Boden finally opened their account in the 4th minute through a two-pointed effort by Colm Basquel.
Matters deteriorated for Na Fianna within a minute as their opponents cut through far too easily, with O’Reilly leaving David O’Hanlon helpless with a sublime, rising effort from ten yards.
Ryan O’Dwyer clipped over two points in quick succession before the Na Fianna defence was marked absent once again in the 8th minute as Sweeney ghosted through before planting a precise finish past O’Hanlon.
Jonny Cooper replied with a point for Na Fianna but it proved an isolated moment of encouragement as they chased shadows for the large part, allowing Basquel the chance to kick his second two-pointed score by the end of the first quarter.
Na Fianna belatedly settled into the tie as James Doran pointed before a quick free in the 19th minute handed O’Leary the opportunity to calmly round Hugh O’Sullivan and roll the ball into the empty net.
While Basquel raised his third red flag soon after, Na Fianna looked to be playing their way back into contention as O’Leary once again produced a cool finish, this time after an incisive run from deep by Sean Caffrey.
Na Fianna’s respite was short-lived however as Basquel turned provider for James Holland to plant a low shot past the unsighted O’Hanlon and a late two-pointed score from O’Dwyer pushed St Enda’s into a healthy fifteen-point lead by the turnaround.
Despite O’Leary pointing in the early stages of the second-half, normal service resumed quickly enough as Sweeney and Basquel added to their respective tallies.
O’Leary and Conor Early made the most of the limited chances that came their way but even by this early stage, their points looked nothing more than consolation efforts.
That impression was franked in the 43rd minute as O’Dwyer got the feintest of touches to a Sweeney free that dropped short, as the ball nestled almost apologetically into the bottom left-hand corner of O’Hanlon’s net.
Any semblance of a contest had long left the encounter as it petered out in the final quarterwith late points from John McGuire, Sweeney and O’Dwyer completing a resounding win for St Enda’s.
Scorers – Ballyboden St Enda’s: R O’Dwyer 1-6 (1 P2); D Sweeney 1-5 (0-1f); C Basquel 0-7 (3 P2); J Holland, D O’Reilly 1-0 each; R McGarry 0-2; A Gavin, L O’Donoghue, J McGuire 0-1 apiece. Na Fianna: B O’Leary 3-2; K Sexton 0-3 (1 F2); C Early 0-2; J Cooper, J Doran 0-1 apiece.
Ballyboden St Enda’s: H O’Sullivan; B Bobbett, S Clayton, C Flaherty; A Gavin, H Donaghy, P Warren; C Darcy, J Holland; D O’Reilly, R O’Dwyer, J Madden; D Sweeney, C Basquel, R McGarry. Subs: K Kennedy for Warren (24), J McGuire for Madden (36), L O’Donoghue for O’Reilly (39), R Baines for Donaghy (51), M McDonald for Darcy (53).
Na Fianna: D O’Hanlon; F Potts, E O’Dea, J Cooper; E Murchan, A Rafter, T Brennan; C Early, J Doran; V Flynn, B O’Leary, D Quinn; S Caffrey, K Sexton, D Lacey. Subs: C Reddin for Lacey (36), C Baxter for Brennan (45), O Donohoe for Potts (50), K Deeley for Quinn (50), D Clerkin for Early (60).
Referee: Colm McCarthy (St Vincent’s)