Lucan defeat Ballyboden to earn place in Go-Ahead Ireland Senior 1 Hurling Final

Image Courtesy Matthew Lysaght

LUCAN SARSFIELDS 1-21 

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 1-17

Lucan Sarsfields will contest their first Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship decider in twelve years after overcoming Ballyboden St Enda’s by four points at Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon. 

Lucan were full value for their 0-16 to 0-7 interval advantage with Ben Coffey accounting for half of those scores against a St Enda’s side missing the guile and scoring threat of Niall McMorrow up front. 

A 33rd minute penalty by Darragh Kenny prompted a Ballyboden comeback after the break as they got to within one point by the start of the final quarter but a Coffey penalty soon after regained the initiative for Lucan for the closing stages. 

Despite Kenny opening the scoring within forty seconds for St Enda’s, it was Lucan that dominated large parts of the initial jousts as Paul Crummey’s levelling score was soon followed up by a brace of Coffey frees. 

Crummey and John McGuire traded well-taken points soon after but there was no doubting Lucan’s brighter start as Coffey added two further frees to augment a 7th minute score from Charlie Keher. 

Coffey was revelling in the greater responsibility afforded to him in the absence of regular free-taker Sean Harkness and he popped over a brace of points from play to extend the Sarsfields lead to six points by the end of the first quarter. 

Granted, there were isolated moments of encouragement for Ballyboden as Conor Dooley drove forward for an excellent score from centre-back and Kenny added his second point from play as the contest evolved. 

However, a rampant Lucan were finding space all too comfortably with defenders Massimo Pappalardo and Ronan Smith racing forward to put further distance between the teams. 

A cracking brace from David Mulqueen was further reward for Sarsfields’ supremacy but late, unanswered points from Kenny (free), Stephen O’Connor and Luke McDwyer helped trim the Boden deficit to nine points by half-time.  

A needless foul by Paul Rigney on David Gleeson offered further hope to Ballyboden within three minutes of the restart with Kenny firing the resultant penalty beyond Sean McClelland.

There was a greater bite to Boden’s challenges now and while Coffey (free) and Cathal Kennedy replied with points for Lucan, they proved powerless in preventing their opponents from reeling off five points on the bounce to leave just two points between the sides by the 41st minute. 

Gleeson, Dooley, Patrick Dunleavy, Fionn Murphy and Kenny (free) all raised flags during this period as the whole complexion of the encounter was altered during the third quarter. 

Another Kenny free brought the margin down to the bare minimum before Lucan substitute Ciaran Dowling made an instant impact when introduced as he was bundled over close to goal with Coffey making no mistake from the spot. 

Ballyboden continued to press through points from Timmy Hammersley and Niall Ryan but the lively Dowling and Coffey crucially kept the Lucan tally ticking over at the opposite end as Lucan ran out deserved winners.  

Scorers – Lucan Sarsfields: B Coffey 1-11 (1-0pen, 0-8f); P Crummey, C Keher, D Mulqueen 0-2 each; M Pappalardo, R Smith, C Dowling, C Kennedy 0-1 apiece. Ballyboden St Enda’s: D Kenny 1-5 (1-0pen, 0-3f); C Dooley, J McGuire 0-2 each; S O’Connor, F Ryan (‘65’), N Ryan, P Dunleavy, D Gleeson, L McDwyer, F Murphy, T Hammersley 0-1 apiece.

Lucan Sarsfields: S McClelland; J Bellew, P Rigney, M Pappalardo; R Smith, C Crummey, M McCaffrey; C Walsh, L Garrigan; C Keher, C Kennedy, B Coffey; D Mulqueen, P Crummey, D Flannery. Subs: J Behan for Garrigan (42), C Dowling for Mulqueen (45), D Lyons for Flannery (56), K Fitzgerald for Keher (58). 

Ballyboden St Enda’s: C O’Donoghue; S O’Connor, F Ryan, P Dunleavy; J Lambert, C Dooley, J Kennedy; J McGuire, S McDonnell; L McDwyer, J Madden, N Ryan; D Gleeson, D Keogh, D Kenny. Subs: F Murphy for Keogh (12), E Behan for Madden (36), T Hammersley for O’Connor (45), B McGuire for Hammersley (54).  

Referee: Rory Hanley (St Brigid’s).