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Image courtesy Niall O'Connell
BALLYMUN KICKHAMS 1-19
CASTLEKNOCK 0-11
Ballymun Kickhams dominated from the outset on their way to a comfortable eleven-point victory over Castleknock in their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship clash at Parnell Park on Friday night.
Ballymun seized the early initiative as Dean Rock added three points in quick succession with Dillon Keating’s 17th minute goal helping build a healthy 1-11 to 0-4 interval advantage.
Castleknock never looked likely to launch a second-half comeback despite an improved showing but Kickhams eased home with their final group match against Whitehall Colmcille in a fortnight’s time to look forward to.
Having drawn their opening fixture with Templeogue Synge Street, Ballymun were in need of an encouraging start and after a cagey beginning, they eventually opened the scoring through Carl Keeley in the 5th minute.
That score settled Kickhams as they began to control matters through a Keating point and three scores by Rock as they pushed five points ahead by the 9th minute.
A fisted score by Brian Ashton preceded a sublime two-point effort from John Small with the outside of the boot before their opponents finally troubled the umpires through a smart Evan McSherry point in the 14th minute.
Castleknock could well have trimmed their deficit further at the end of the first-quarter but Eoin Sawyer shot narrowly wide of Evan Comerford’s right-hand upright having pierced a hole through the heart of the Ballymun defence.
That miss proved particularly costly as Kickhams netted within two minutes of that let-off as Keating left Sam Maloney helpless with a powerful shot from ten yards.
Ballymun’s efficiency up front deserted them for a while, allowing Castleknock to make gradual inroads into their sizeable arrears through points by Maloney (’45), Sawyer and Ger McDermottroe.
However, it proved a brief respite as Ballymun, who controlled the aerial duels, finished the half on the front foot as points from James McCarthy and Keeley left them ten points clear by the break.
It proved a mirror image of Ballymun dominance upon the restart as Paddy Small fisted over inside thirty seconds while the lively Keating kicked an audacious two-point score a minute later.
Some improved play from Castleknock yielded points through Ciarán Kilkenny, Rob Shaw and Conor Chawke while Sawyer’s pace created another half-chance that rose above Comerford’s crossbar.
These proved all too isolated moments of encouragement for the Dublin 15 outfit as the final quarter petered out with Kickhams adding to their buffer through late points by Cameron McCormack and Alan Hubbard.
Scorers – Ballymun Kickhams: D Keating 1-4 (1 P2); D Rock 0-6 (3f, 1 ’45); C Keeley, J Small (P2) 0-2 each; J McCarthy, C McCormack, B Ashton, P Small, A Hubbard 0-1 apiece. Castleknock: S Maloney 0-3 (F2, 1 f); E Sawyer 0-2; R Shaw, E McSherry, C Chawke, G McDermottroe, C Kilkenny, L Cahill 0-1 apiece.
Ballymun Kickhams: E Comerford; E Dolan, D Conlon, E Hill; J Grant, J Small, D Leonard; J McCarthy, B Ashton; C McCormack, C Keeley, C Tighe; P Small, D Keating, D Rock. Subs: D Robertson for Dolan (50), A Hubbard for Keeley (53), R Bolger for Leonard (57), A Elliot for Ashton (57).
Castleknock: S Maloney; E O’Brien, R O’Shea, T Quinn; R Shaw, C Murphy, E McSherry; D Clarke, K Stephenson; C Chawke, C Kilkenny, L Swan; B Galvin, E Sawyer, G McDermottroe. Subs: A Hughes for O’Shea (34), D Leonard for McDermottroe (43), S Ryan for Sawyer (49), N Milmore for O’Brien (Temp, 53), L Cahill for Galvin (57), E Walsh for Shaw (57).
Referee: Paul Faughnan (St Patrick’s Palmerstown).