Boden Make It Three Wins From Three In Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 1 Football Championship

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 2-16

ST VINCENT’S 0-12

Image courtesy Mark McDonagh

Ballyboden St Enda’s completed their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship Group 1 campaign on a positive manner when defeating St Vincent’s by ten points in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon.

Ballyboden enjoyed a 0-9 to 0-7 advantage at the break, having played against the breeze, with Colm Basquel and Daire Sweeney kicking three points apiece.

St Enda’s pushed on upon the restart and settled the issue and their third straight win in the group courtesy of goals in the final quarter by Sweeney and Peter Healy.

There was a relatively even opening to events as Basquel’s 2nd minute point was immediately nullified at the opposite end by Darragh Cummins.

A fine Sean Keogh point in the 5th minute edged the locals back in front before a brace of Sweeney scores edged St Enda’s back into a marginal lead.

While Paul Reynolds Hand restored parity in the 10th minute with a long distance free, that score preceded a barren period of ten minutes for St Vincent’s as Ballyboden took control of matters.

Michael O’Gara restored the St Enda’s lead from a Ryan O’Dwyer pass and the latter doubled their advantage before Basquel cut inside to slot over his second score in the 13th minute.

Sweeney’s movement up front was a positive feature of a relatively laboured first-half and he added his third score to leave four points between the sides prior to Vinnies getting back on track courtesy of points from substitute Harry Curley and Reynolds Hand (free).

They cut their deficit to the bare minimum in the 29th minute as Josh Kelly released Adrain Cummins for a facile score but a late Callum O’Dwyer point left Boden holding a two-point advantage by the interval.

Two points within the first four minutes of the restart from Sweeney saw St Enda’s double their buffer as they began to punch repeated holes in the overworked St Vincent’s defence.

Ryan O’Dwyer kicked two almost identical two-pointers inside sixty seconds to leave eight points between the sides prior to their opponents launching a mini-comeback before the end of the third quarter.

A brilliant Michael O’Rowe point preceded scores from Darragh Cummins and Reynolds Hand (free) as St Vincent’s looked a more dangerous proposition than had previously been the case.

However, their momentum stalled in the 48th as they were caught on the counter-attack with Alex Gavin and Céin Darcy exchanged passes for Sweeney to hammer home past Andy Smyth.

The stuffing was knocked from the Vinnies challenge as a result and they conceded a second goal five minutes later as substitute Healy powered home from ten yards.

Nathan Mullins could well have netted a consolation goal but for a superb block from Darragh Gogan in the Ballyboden goal as the contest petered out in the closing stages.    

Scorers – Ballyboden St Enda’s: D Sweeney 1-5 (0-2f); R O’Dwyer 0-5 (2 P2); P Healy 1-0; C Basquel 0-3; A Gavin, M O’Gara, C O’Dwyer 0-1 apiece. St Vincent’s: P Reynolds Hand 0-4 (4f); D Cummins, H Curley 0-2 each; S O’Leary, S Keogh, A Cummins, M O’Rowe 0-1 apiece.

Ballyboden St Enda’s: D Gogan; R Baines, S Clayton, B Bobbett; K Kennedy, H Donaghy, P Dunleavy; C Darcy, J Holland; M Walsh, C Basquel, M O’Gara; C O’Dwyer, R O’Dwyer, D Sweeney. Subs: R Basquel for O’Gara (half-time), A Gavin for Dunleavy (40), P Healy for Kennedy (40), M McDonald for Walsh (45), D McCabe for C Basquel (52).    

St Vincent’s: A Smyth; S Keogh, M L’Estrange, C O’Connor; R O’Neill, C Wilson, S O’Leary; D Cummins, A Cummins; P Reynolds Hand, M O’Rowe, J Kelly; C O’Grady, G Burke, K O’Brien. Subs: H Curley for Burke (18), N Mullins for A Cummins (38), A Martin for O’Brien (41), J Brady for O’Neill (41), J Curley for Kelly (50).    

Referee: Barry Tiernan (O’Dwyer’s).