Faughs crowned Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 2 Hurling Champions

FAUGHS 1-17 

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 1-17 AET

(Faughs won 2-1 on penalties)

Eoghan McNamara proved the hero for Faughs as he saved four penalties in helping his side overcome local rivals Ballyboden St Enda’s in their thrilling Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 2 Hurling Championship final at O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon. 

McNamara also converted one of Faughs’ two successful shootout strikes with his save from Eoghan O’Neill securing a famous win for the Tymon Park outfit. 

It was particularly unfortunate for O’Neill given that the Ballyboden substitute had dome much to keep his side in contention with his goal in second-half extra-time helping leave the teams deadlocked at 1-17 apiece by the end. 

The contest had initially finished in a 1-11 to 0-14 stalemate as Jonathan O’Driscoll slotted over a levelling free in the dying embers of injury-time. 

There wasn’t much to commend in the contest initially as both sides struggled for any fluency on a heavy pitch while the cross-field breeze also mitigated against precision in terms of passing and shooting. 

As a result, there was very little to separate the teams throughout as O’Driscoll scored an excellent opener in the 2nd minute only for Faughs to reply through Conor Brennan and James O’Brien (free). 

Darragh Ormsby was a lively presence in the Boden attack and showed great perseverance to level matters in the 10th minute as the St Enda’s defence coped well with the aerial threat of their opponents. 

Faughs pushed two points clear as O’Brien (free) and Brennan doubled their personal tallies and they continued to control matters through further points by Liam Mostyn and O’Brien. 

Ormsby struck two frees in quick succession to halve the Ballyboden deficit but a late O’Brien free left Faughs with a deserved 0-7 to 0-4 interval advantage. 

A strong start to the second-half from Ballyboden yielded scores through Ormsby and O’Driscoll with Mostyn doing his best to stall their momentum with an influential showing in the third quarter. 

His shot from distance in the 38th minute caused havoc in the Boden defence and Brennan was hand to pull home past Eoin Mac Pháidin, leaving four points between the sides. 

St Enda’s replied well to that setback with Ormsby and O’Driscoll on target again with O’Neill and O’Driscoll landing late points to leave the prospect of extra-time. 

Faughs dusted themselves down from that late disappointment as they dominated the first period of extra-time as O’Brien’s three points from placed balls were augmented by further scores from McNamara (free) and Brennan. 

However, the momentum swung back in Ballyboden’s favour as O’Neill crashed home to the net in the opening minute of the second period and O’Driscoll’s free soon after was the final score of the contest as both teams spurned presentable chances to regain the lead. 

The penalty shootout saw both McNamara and Mac Pháidín showcasing their talents with the latter saving from O’Brien and Heavey but McNamara’s excellence saw him deny O’Driscoll, Kevin Desmond and James Roche before his final act in diverting O’Neill’s attempt to safety.      

Scorers – Faughs: J O’Brien 0-9 (8f, 1 ’65); C Brennan 1-3; E McNamara (f), C O’Mahony, L Mostyn, F Heavey, C Brennan 0-1 apiece. Ballyboden St Enda’s: J O’Driscoll 0-8 (6f); D Ormsby 0-6 (3f); E O’Neill 1-2; J Roche 0-1. 

Faughs: E McNamara; J Kenny, S O’Brien, C Leahy; S McDonald, N Fitzgibbon, C Nagle; D Pryce, C O’Mahony; J O’Brien, O Walsh, L Mostyn; B Murray, C Brennan, C O’Shea. Subs: F Heavey for Walsh (half-time), C Brennan for Murray (half-time), E Brennan for O’Shea (48), C McCabe for O’Mahony (57), R Hennessy for Nagle (60+2), O’Shea for Mostyn (71), Nagle for O’Brien (74). 

Ballyboden St Enda’s: E Mac Phádín; L McConnell, N Maguire, L Dargan; D Smyth, K Desmond, S O’Donnell; F Maguire, J Roche; S Kennedy, J O’Driscoll, D Glynn; O Byrne, L Kennedy, D Ormsby. Subs: E O’Neill for O Byrne (21), K Byrne for Glynn (36), J Corcoran for Smyth (52), M Weldon for Ormsby (61), J Corr for Kennedy (61). 

Referee: Damien Burnett (Craobh Chiaráin).