Dublin SFC final: Ballyboden St Enda’s 1-16 Na Fianna 1-12
Ballyboden delivered on the form that blew All-Ireland champions Cuala off the tracks in the semi-finals to win their fifth Dublin football championship before a good crowd at rain-swept Parnell Park on Saturday evening.
An electric final quarter saw them lead by nine going into injury-time at which point, in homage to the miraculous comebacks that had punctuated both clubs’ progress to the final, Na Fianna gamely rattled off an unanswered 1-2. It gave the scoreline a more contested look but their hopes of a double with the hurlers in next week’s final had disappeared.
The winners’ key score came from Galway centrefielder Céin D’Arcy, who was on hand to finish a swift move in the 53rd minute with a well-taken goal, which gave his team a seven-point lead, 1-14 to 0-10.
The win was crafted by the forwards. Colm Basquel was an obvious choice for man-of-the-match after an evening of dynamic running unsettled the opposition and yielded scores. He got 0-2 from play and was fouled for five converted frees.
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He also had a terrific defensive block that led to a point at the other end and was the penultimate link in the chain for the goal, passing to Ryan O’Dwyer, who provided the assist.
O’Dwyer was also a handful on the evening and together with Daire Sweeney, the primary instrument of destruction in the semi-final, who put three early wides behind him to shoot 0-8, seven from frees, they provided 0-12 of the winning total.
They had good support both in attack and around the field. Goalkeeper Hugh O’Sullivan made a fine save form David Quinn’s venomous strike in the 37th minute when the match was still level.
Antrim footballer Peter Healy had a big impact at centre back after the defence had been disrupted by the loss of captain and full back Shane Clayton in the third minute. Healy put in a stupendous tackle on the always dangerous James Doran in the first half, and in the second kicked the match’s only two-pointer in the 44th minute to signal the Ballyboden charge.
The teams had met previously in the championship in August when Ballyboden recorded a big win. Although they won this comfortably enough in the end, it was no procession. Na Fianna were competitive, disciplined at the back and with the wind behind them, gave an early lesson in economy.
The signature phase came in the middle of the first half. For three minutes and 15 seconds, Ballyboden held the ball despite a couple of spirited attempts to break up the move, which lasted for more than 50 possessions. Their opponents were disciplined, shut them out and the move ended when Eoin Murchan got a block on Basquel to turn over possession.
Murchan and Jonny Cooper were instrumental in countering the Ballyboden threats, or at least keeping the languid back-and-forth attacks under control and unproductive.
For the next three minutes and 15 seconds, Na Fianna showed the beneficial impact of a bit of urgency, scoring three points from Ciarán Reddin, Doran and Conor McHugh – a late addition for Keelan Sexton – who had a fine match.
Yet, despite trailing 0-3 to 0-7 after 20 minutes, the winners responded almost effortlessly – Sweeney on hand to kick all four levelling points in the 10 minutes before half-time, three from frees as the pressure mounted on Na Fianna and one swiftly taken snap shot from play.
Both Basquel and his manager Eamonn O’Reilly emphasised that they were happy with the half-time score at 0-7 apiece, having played against the wind and yet securing two-thirds possession in the first half.
Given the vicissitudes survived during their campaign, Ballyboden were very confident and it showed in the final quarter, as they eased away after a spell of tit-for-tat scoring on the resumption.
They rounded off their scoring in the 60th minute. Darren O’Reilly, along with Basquel a survivor of the club’s 2016 All-Ireland win, came on and within seconds had broken forward and supplied James Holland with the assist.
Na Fianna persevered and won a penalty when Sexton was foot-blocked by Ryan Baines. The Clare forward took it himself and although O’Sullivan saved, the rebound was deftly put away.
It was too late for a rallying charge and Ballyboden duly marked the 30th anniversary of their first title with the fifth. They now ready themselves for a Leinster championship date in Wexford
The match was delayed by 15 minutes for a medical emergency after a spectator had taken ill. There was a one-minute silence before the throw-in as a mark of respect to Tipperary football manager Philly Ryan, who died suddenly earlier on Saturday.
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: H O’Sullivan; B Bobbett, S Clayton, C Flaherty; A Gavin (0-0-1), P Healy (0-1-0), P Warren; C Darcy (1-0-0), J Holland (0-0-1); R O’Dwyer (0-0-2), R McGarry, J Madden; J McGuire, C Basquel (0-0-2), D Sweeney (0-0-8, 7f).
Subs: R Baines for Clayton (3 mins); C O’Dwyer for McGuire (45); K Kennedy for Warren (52); H Donaghy for Healy (58); D O’Reilly for Madden (60).
NA FIANNA: D O’Hanlon; A Rafter, J Cooper, F Potts; N McGovern, E Murchan, O Donohoe; C Early, K Deeley; J Doran (0-0-2), B O’Leary (0-0-4, 3f), D Quinn; C McHugh (0-0-5, 2f), C Reddin (0-0-1), S Caffrey.
Subs: V Flynn for Deeley (34 mins); K Sexton (1-0-0) for Caffrey (46); D Kennedy for McGovern (49); D Clerkin for Quinn (53); D Lacey for Reddin (56).
Referee: D Delaney (Wanderers).
