Cuala complete dramatic late comeback over Ballyboden St Enda’s to top Group 2

CUALA 2-16

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 1-17

Cuala confirmed top spot in Group 2 of the PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship when overcoming Ballyboden St Enda’s by two points in Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Dalkey outfit looked destined to suffer their first loss of the campaign as they trailed by four points late in the final quarter but a George O’Toole goal prompted a late comeback that saw Cuala edge home through injury-time points by Kevin Kirwan, Sean Moran and Donal O’Shea.  

Ballyboden entered the break leading by 1-9 to 1-8 with an O’Toole goal for Cuala in the 17th minute cancelled out at the opposite end by Darragh Kenny within four minutes. 

They deservedly maintained that narrow lead for the bulk of the second-half but were unable to finish the job and with St Jude’s accounting for St Brigid’s, Boden now face a relegation play-off in a fortnight’s time.    

Boden looked to avail of the breeze at their backs in the early stages with Stephen O’Connor setting the tone with a fine strike from distance inside thirty seconds.

While O’Shea restored parity through a 3rd minute free, Cuala were struggling to impose themselves on the contest as they fell two points behind following scores from David Gleeson and O’Connor.

Conor Dooley joined the party with another precise strike from inside his own half in the 6th minute before Diarmaid Ó Floinn replied with Cuala’s first score from play soon after.

Points by Darragh Kenny (free) and James Madden were cancelled out by frees from O’Shea and Moran but St Enda’s pushed four points clear by the end of the first quarter with Gleeson and Niall McMorrow both on target.

The contest sparked into life soon after as a mazy run from Colm Cronin allowed O’Toole to nip and plant a precise finish past the exposed Conor O’Donoghue in the Ballyboden goal.

A brace of O’Shea frees saw the group leaders edge in front for the first time in the 20th minute but that advantage was short-lived as Madden escaped down the left flank and while Sean Brennan worked his usual wonders in denying Gleeson, Kenny was on hand to pull to the net from close range.

The tightness continued with Eoin Behan and Stephen Roche exchanging points towards the end of the half as Boden entered the break leading by the bare minimum.

After seeing their crossbar rattled by Ó Floinn within two minutes of the resumption, Ballyboden availed of that let-off to double their advantage through Luke McDwyer in the 35th minute.   

With Cuala’s marksmanship below its usual standard, their opponents took advantage to move four points clear as Gleeson and Aidan Mellett popped over scores to reward their spirited efforts.

While O’Shea replied with a ‘65’ in the 38th minute, Ballyboden continued to dominate with another McDwyer score augmented by two frees in quick succession by McMorrow

Ó Floinn did his best to rally the Cuala troops as he added two further scores in the early stages of the final quarter while a Cronin point reduced Cuala’s deficit to four points by the 49th minute.  

When Gleeson clipped over his fourth point in the 52nd minute, Boden looked well set for victory but O’Toole’s second goal, a carbon copy of his first with Cronin heavily involved again, changed the whole momentum of the game.

Kirwan levelled matters in the 62nd minute while Moran and O’Shea added cracking points from distance to secure a largely fortuitous win as they look forward to a quarter-final meeting against Whitehall Colmcille in a fortnight’s time.

Scorers – Cuala: D O’Shea 0-8 (5f, 1 ’65); G O’Toole 2-0; D Ó Floinn 0-3; S Moran (1f) 0-2; S Roche, C Cronin, K Kirwan 0-1 apiece. Ballyboden St Enda’s: D Kenny 1-1 (0-1f); D Gleeson 0-4; N McMorrow (2f) 0-3; S O’Connor, L McDwyer 0-2 each; D Durkin, C Dooley, J Maddden, E Behan, A Mellett 0-1 apiece.

Cuala: S Brennan; A English, E O’Callaghan, C Groarke; S Roche, S Moran, D Ó Floinn; D O’Shea, J Twomey; J Conroy, J Malone, G O’Toole; C O’Toole, C Cronin, D Treacy. Subs: K Kirwan for Treacy (half-time), C Spain for C O’Toole (47), A Sheeran for Conroy (58).      

Ballyboden St Enda’s: C O’Donoghue; J Lambert, P Dunleavy, J Kennedy; C Dooley, S O’Connor, D Durkin; E Behan, J Roche; J Madden, F Codd, L McDwyer; N McMorrow, D Kenny, D Gleeson. Subs: F Murphy for Roche (half-time), A Mellett for Kenny (half-time),J Norris for Codd (47), P Christie for Madden (56), F Ryan for Kennedy (62).      

Referee: Colm McCarthy (St Vincent’s).