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Ballyboughal delivered a free-scoring performance on their way to a 7-14 to 2-14 victory over Clontarf in their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Adult Football League Division 3 encounter at St Anne’s Park on Tuesday evening.
Despite conceding 2-14, the visitors looked solid at the back with Danny McGill, Will Rafter and Cathal Beggs all to the fore while Cahal Flynn, Cillian Murphy and John Rodgers provided a strong platform around the middle third.
Rodgers was rewarded for his efforts with a brace of goals and with Gerry Seaver scoring an impressive 2-7, Ballyboughal pulled away by the final whistle through a further brace from Cian Warren and a Richard Downey goal.
In Hyde Park, Trinity Gaels moved away from the basement spots as they edged Cuala by 0-17 to 0-14 with Mark Walsh playing a key role at centre-back for the winners.
The visitors had seven separate scores over the hour with Joey McCann and Craig Reilly leading the way with four points apiece while Jack Rowe, Steven Dunne, Liam Glynn, Cathal Barrett and Josh McCann also made vital contributions in their narrow win.
All top four teams in the league registered victories with Clanna Gael Fontenoy and Ballyboden St Enda’s continuing to set the pace following their successes against Round Towers Clondalkin and Thomas Davis.
AFL3: St Patrick’s Palmerstown 0-9 Erin’s Isle 6-22; Cuala 0-14 Trinity Gaels 0-17; Thomas Davis 0-14 Ballyboden St Enda’s 2-16; Ballymun Kickhams 1-11 St Anne’s 3-18; St Maur’s 1-16 St Finian’s Swords 0-11; Clanna Gael Fontenoy 4-17 Round Towers Clondalkin 1-18; Clontarf 2-14 Ballyboughal 7-14; St Margaret’s 2-16 Clann Mhuire 1-14.
In AFL4, St Finian’s Newcastle overturned a twelve-point deficit on their way to a thrilling 1-16 to 1-15 victory away to Man O’War.
In doing so, they picked up their first win of the campaign but that looked highly unlikely as they trailed by 1-12 to 0-3 within five minutes of the second-half.
However, a brace of two-pointed scores from Lar Harney offered hopes of a comeback and with Sean O’Reilly adding a goal, St Finian’s maintained that momentum thanks to hugely influential displays by Aidan Burke and Ciaran Burke around the middle third.
In Ballyogan, Geraldine P. Moran cemented their mid-table position as they defeated O’Toole’s by 1-16 to 1-12.
The foundation for their victory lay at the back through the disciplined efforts of Alex Tallon and Jordan Mooney in their full-back line.
Further up the field, both Kevin Quinn (0-7) and Conor Cannon (1-3) impressed with their scoring returns against an O’Toole’s side whose challenge faded after losing influential midfielder Michael Concarr to injury.
At the top of the table, both Garristown and O’Dwyer’s remain locked on ten points after their home wins against Kilmacud Crokes and Fingal Ravens respectively.
AFL4: Lucan Sarsfields 1-6 Castleknock 0-19; O’Dwyer’s 0-14 Fingal Ravens 1-8; Geraldine P. Moran 1-16 O’Toole’s 1-12; St Peregrine’s 3-10 Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels 0-14; Garristown 2-20 Kilmacud Crokes 2-9; Man O’War 1-15 St Finian’s Newcastle 1-16; St Vincent’s 0-7 St Sylvester’s 1-7; St Jude’s 1-13 Ballinteer St John’s 3-13.