Naomh Ólaf Claim PTSB Intermediate Football title after pulsating Final win over Ballyboughal

NAOMH OLAF 6-9

BALLYBOUGHAL 1-20

The old adage of ‘goals win games’ came to pass at Parnell Park on Saturday evening as Naomh Olaf secured the PTSB Dublin Intermediate Club Football Championship title at the end of a frantic tussle with Ballyboughal.

Three points in front at the break, Olaf’s scored 4-1 on the resumption to eventually overcome the challenge of a determined and stubborn Ballyboughal side. Having already found the net in the opening half, Cian De Burca added a brace in the second period to ensure he ended the action with a hat-trick of goals to his name.

James Oliver (1-3) was also in fine scoring form for Olaf’s, while Niall Manning and Luca Manicle were amongst those to grab additional goals over the course of the contest. Gerry Seaver (1-5) and Cian Casey (0-6) led the charge impressively for a Ballyboughal outfit that remained in contention until the closing moments of this tense showpiece affair, but it was Olaf’s who ultimately climbed the steps of the Parnell Park stand to claim the silverware on offer.

Three-time winners of the competition – most recently in 2019 – Ballyboughal got the scoring underway in this game when lively corner-forward Casey split the posts off his left foot. Yet Olaf’s have enjoyed final successes of their own in the intermediate championship back in 1993 and 2013, and soon got themselves up and running in the Donnycarney venue.

Multiple All-Ireland winning Dublin star David Byrne was part of that most recent triumph 13 years ago and he broke forward from wing-back to levelled matters in the third minute. He had a subsequent goal opportunity that drifted agonisingly past the post, but the Sandyford outfit nevertheless edged in front when Oliver knocked over a two-pointer with the outside of his right boot.

It proved to be an open contest throughout the first half, however, and Ballyboughal raised a green flag on seven minutes as the experienced Seaver gathered possession after Casey had hit the post and calmly fired beyond the reach of opposition netminder Ross Donovan.

This was an ideal confidence boost for Ballyboughal and with Cahal Flynn, John Rodgers and Cian Downey all finding the range in quick succession, the northsiders moved four points clear.

This lead proved to be short-lived though as a Glenn Soraghan point was quickly followed by a clinically-struck Oliver goal on the first-quarter mark – a surging run from the influential Byrne created the space for the roving corner-forward to prosper.

Byrne’s half-back partners Sean O’Driscoll and Colin Doyle then combined for the latter to kick a close-range point, before Ballyboughal regained their composure and edged back into the ascendancy with unanswered efforts courtesy of Seaver (free) and Casey.

Midfielder Rodgers also fired over a superb two-pointer from play in response to a white flag score at the opposite end from Oliver, but it was Olaf’s who enjoyed the brighter end to the opening period.

After executing a quick one-two on 24 minutes, industrious half-forward De Burca palmed home for his side’s second goal of the proceedings. This offered the southsiders a slender cushion over their counterparts once again and with De Burca and Soraghan (via a close-in free) also chipping in with points, Olaf’s developed a 2-8 to 1-8 buffer in time for the interval.

However, Ballyboughal quickly reduced their deficit on the restart through a pointed free by Seaver and Mark Byrne’s charges gained a numerical advantage when Olaf’s had a man was sent off on 33 minutes after he received a black card to go alongside the yellow he picked up in the first half.

This ramped up the pressure on Olaf’s, but they respond superbly in the face of adversity to dramatically find themselves eight points clear on the stroke of 40 minutes.

De Burca was continuing to take the game to Ballyboughal and he pulled off another swift one-two with Doyle before shooting to the net in the 37th minute. Ballyboughal would go on to suffer a set-back when an injury led to the withdrawal of starting netminder David Downey.

He was replaced between the sticks by Danny Callan, but when Olaf’s intercepted a kick-out shortly after his introduction, the ball was worked towards full-forward Manning for an outstanding volleyed finish at a left-hand angle.

This suddenly left Ballyboughal with a mountain to scale, but as expected they threw everything at their Páirc Uí Bhriain counterparts in the closing stages of the game. Following successive white flag efforts from Cian Downey, Simon Barrett and Mark Cooper, a majestic two-point free by Seaver had Ballyboughal back within three at the beginning of the closing quarter.

This meant the spoils were still very much up for grabs and even though Eoin Foley kicked a fine point to ease the nerves of the passionate Olaf’s supporters on 50 minutes, Cian Warren and Casey cut the Ballyboughal deficit to two with the end of normal time fast approaching.

Yet Olaf’s maintained a potent attacking threat and with just under two minutes of stoppage-time already played, De Burca completed his hat-trick by rolling the ball to the net under severe pressure.

Although this appeared to finally place the outcome beyond doubt, 0-3 on the bounce from Ballyboughal (a two-pointer from Casey and a single score by substitute Ciaran Wynne) raised the possibility of a dramatic fightback.

There was enough time for Casey to increase his tally with another point, but this was spectacularly preceded by a sixth Olaf’s goal from Luca Manicle that effectively sealed the crown for his side.

Scorers – Naomh Olaf: C De Burca 3-1, J Oliver 1-3 (1 P2), N Manning, L Manicle 1-0 each, G Soraghan 0-2 (1f), C Doyle, D Byrne, E Foley 0-1 each. Ballyboughal: G Seaver 1-5 (1 F2, 3f), C Casey 0-6 (1 P2), J Rodgers 0-3 (1 P2), C Downey 0-2, C Warren, S Barrett, M Cooper, C Flynn 0-1 each.

Naomh Olaf: R Donovan; A Walsh, D Lavelle, T McCarthy; S O’Driscoll, C Doyle, D Byrne; L Jordan, E Foley; L Donnelly, M Doyle, C De Burca; G Soraghan, N Manning, J Oliver. Subs: L Manicle for Oliver (42), C Moriarty for Jordan (49), O Bent for Manning (60), C Watters for Soraghan (63), S O’Brien for O’Driscoll (66).

Ballyboughal: D Downey; C Murphy, S Conville, D McGill; C Warren, S Barrett, W Rafter; M Cooper, J Rodgers; G Seaver, C Downey, E Mac Philibin; C Casey, C Flynn, W Cooney. Subs: D Lee for Conville (h-t), D Callan for D Downey (39), C Wynne for Mac Philibin (48), R Downey for C Downey (53), S Campbell for Murphy (57).

Referee: Eamonn Drumgoole English (Cuala).