Wins for Boden and Crokes in SFC1

Fri, 27th April 2018

Ballyboden St Enda's recovered from their opening round reversal when defeating Raheny, 4-6 to 1-9, in Thursday night's Dublin SFC1 Group 1 clash at Parnell Park.

Boden finished the game with 14 men after midfielder Michael Darragh Macauley was sent off (two yellows) in the 54th minute as Raheny laid siege to their opponents goal.

The had chances also of making it a dramatic conclusion but Aran Kelly had one goal attempt cleared off the line by Seán Gibbons and Brian Fenton blazed another opportunity wide from close range.

It was Boden's greater ability to be clinical in the danger zone that ultimately was the difference between the sides with Darren O'Reilly, Alan Flood and the Basquel brothers, Ryan and Colm, who all raised green flags in their six-point victory.

Boden were 3-3 t0 1-6 in front at the interval, with Raheny's goal coming just before the break when Aran Kelly flicked a long delivery from Brian Howard to the net over the head of Conor Dooley.

Earlier in the half O'Reilly grabbed the first Boden goal when he palmed to the net after Macauley had made inroads along the endline.

A well worked quick free by Ryan Basquel culminated in him firing to net after combining with Flood to give his side a 2-1 to 0-2 lead after 11 minutes.

In the 28th minute Flood rifled to the Raheny net following good work by James Madden to move Boden 3-3 to 0-5 clear before an Eoin Keogh point and Kelly goal very late in the half cut the deficit.

Nine minutes into the second half came goal number four when Colm Basquel followed up on a Flood effort that came back off the post to make it 4-5 to 1-6.

But Raheny keep battling with two Gavin Ivory points, one free, giving them hope.

But despite the loss of Macauley to a second yellow card Boden had enough of a cushion to hold off Raheny's late rally.

Shane Horan maintained his early championship goal-scoring heroics when he followed up on his 2-1 tally against Boden in the earlier round by scoring 2-1 again as Kilmacud Crokes held off a battling St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh by 2-15 to 0-17 in their Dublin SFC1 Group 1 duel in Parnell Park on Thursday night.

The sides were level 1-9 to 0-12 at the break but Plunkett's went 25 minutes of the second half without scoring before the impressive Seán Bugler fired over to make it 2-14 to 0-13 points.

Crokes first goal from Horan came in the 19th minute of the opening half when he combined with Pat Burke before finding the net.

Twenty minutes into the second period he found the net again to give his side a six-point advantage, 2-12 to 0-12.

It was enough to give the Stillorgan side their second victory of the group despite Plunkett's finishing the stronger with points from Leigh Herron, Bugler, Gareth Smith (free) and Bugler again, a rising goal attempt that cleared David Nestor's crossbar.

There were some excellent scores kicked by both sides in the opening half with Paul Mannion setting the standard high with an early booming effort.

Niall Walsh and Tomás Corrigan, a fifth minute sub for the injured Alan Brogan, both enjoyed great passages in the opening half as the play went from end to end.

However, it was Crokes restart to the second half that sealed the deal for them.

Paul Mannion (free), Dan O'Brien, Mannion again (free) and Cian O'Connor all kicked points for Crokes before Horan made the most of a point effort from Mannion dropping short to rattle the Plunkett's net.

When Horan added a point from play it was 2-14 to 0-12 and despite Plunkett's comeback they had left themselves with too much to do.