Ballyboden St Enda’s aiming for Leinster success

Ballyboden St Enda's will hope to secure the Leinster club SFC for the second time in their history when they face Carlow champions, Eire Og, in Sunday's provincial decider at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise (2.0).

Four-time Dublin senior champions 'Boden were crowned Leinster champions in 2015 on their way to All-Ireland glory the following St Patrick's Day in Croke Park.

As provincial winners they were followed in 2016 by St Vincent's, the last time the capital's representatives were Leinster holders.

Dublin have enjoyed a very successful decade in the Leinster club SFC with the following provincial champions - 2010 Kilmacud Crokes, 2012 Ballymun Kickhams, 2013 St Vincent's, 2014 St Vincent's, 2015 Ballyboden St Enda's, and 2016 St VIncent's.

It has been a hectic schedule for Ballyboden over the past few months and they have another few weeks to go before they can catch a breather.

Apart from Sunday's Leinster club SFC final against five-time Leinster champions, Eire Og, they have also progressed to the Dublin AFL Division 1 final where Ballymun Kickhams await on Tuesday, December 17 (7.30).

The southsiders, who are managed by legendary Kildare footballer Anthony Rainbow, have been on an incredible unbeaten run this year.

Ballyboden St Enda's are on a 24-game unbeaten run (23 wins, one draw against Kilmacud Crokes in AFL1) between Dublin AFL1 and SFC as well as their two Leinster SFC victories to reach Sunday's decider.

Last time out Boden defeated Westmeath champions, Garrycastle, 3-14 to 0-12, in their Leinster semi-final at Cusack Park, Mullingar.

The Firhouse Road men started and ended the game in emphatic fashion - the manner of their display should buoy them ahead of the provincial decider.

The Dublin champions only shot just five wides and dropped two point efforts short over the course of the hour-plus after beginning the contest at a great rate of knots to lead 1-10 to 0-5 at the break.

Their goal arrived in the sixth minute when Dublin senior panellist Robbie McDaid bolted through the centre of the Garrycastle defence before applying a clincial finish with his less favoured left foot as he angled slightly away from goal.

That score put the southsiders on the front foot with scores from Colm Basquel (two, one free), Alan Flood and Ross McGarry propelling them into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead by the 11th minute.

Before the interval Ryan Basquel, who like his younger brother Colm has enjoyed a superb season, had tagged on three points with Alan Flood and Ross McGarry also adding to their haul.

Garrycastle restarted the second half with three converted frees from legendary Westmeath footballer Dessie Dolan (playing in his last competitive game) but points from Ross McGarry, Robbie McDaid and Darren O’Reilly quelled any hopes the Westmeath side had of raising a comeback.

Inside the last ten minutes goals from Colm Basquel and James Holland, a Dublin minor footballer in 2015 and '16, rifled to the roof of the net following a one-two with Seán Gibbons down the right wing, put Boden out of sight before a Conal Keaney free pushed his side 3-14 to 0-10 clear as the game moved into added time.

In their Leinster club SFC quarter-final Ballyboden finished strongly to overcome the Louth champions (1-11 to 0-5) at the Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda.

The sides were level 0-3 each at half-time after an uneventful opening 30 minutes bar the dismissal of Boden defender Cathal Flaherty towards the close of the half and with 15 minutes remaining the sides were still deadlocked 0-5 apiece

However, the introduction of experienced duo Conal Keaney and Michael Darragh Macauley inspired the Dublin champions.

Two Colm Basquel points, the second a free following a foul on Robbie McDaid, edged Boden two points clear inside the concluding ten minutes and they kept the foot to the floor to run out nine-point victors.

The evergreen Conal Keaney contributed two points from play after being brought into the fray while Macauley’s all-action display helped his side into the winner’s enclosure.

Ryan Basquel chipped over a penalty, following a foul on Michael Darragh Macauley, to make it 0-8 to 0-5 as the game moved into added time and his brother Colm then fisted a point before he finished clinically to the net following good approach play from the influential Macaculey.

In their Dublin SFC1 campaign Ballyboden St Enda's captured the title for the fourth time in their history when defeating Thomas Davis, 0-15 to 0-9, in the SFC1 decider at Parnell Park.

That was their sixth SFC1 victory of their eventually successful Dublin journey (v Thomas Davis, St Jude's, Na Fianna, Skerries Harps, Lucan Sarsfields, and Clontarf).

During those six SFC1 contests Ballyboden St Enda's scored 8-90 and conceded 2-59, the goals they conceded scored by Lucan's Brian Collopy in their second game of the round-robin section in Group 2 and by Na Fianna's Karl Deeley in their epic quarter-final which went to extra-time.

The Dublin champions have won the provincial club SFC on 21 occasions (St Vincent's 7, Kilmacud Crokes 4, Thomas Davis 2, UCD 2, Ballyboden St Enda's 1, Ballymun Kickhams 1, St Brigid's 1, Na Fianna 1, Erin's Isle 1, Parnell's 1).

St Vincent's were Dublin's last champions in 2016 with the Marino club losing to Wicklow's Rathnew (1-13 to 1-9) in a Leinster quarter-final in 2017 while Kilmacud Crokes were defeated by Longford's Mullinalaghta (2-13 to 2-7) in last year's provincial final.

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LEINSTER CLUB SFC

FINAL

8 December O'Moore Park, Portlaoise Ballyboden St Enda's v Eire Og, Carlow, 2.0

SEMI-FINAL

24 November Cusack Park, Mullingar Ballyboden St Enda's 3-14 Garrycastle (Westmeath) 0-12

QUARTER-FINAL

10 November Gaelic Grounds, Drogheda Ballyboden St Enda's 1-11 Newtown Blues (Louth) 0-5

DUBLIN SFC1

FINAL

3 November Parnell Park Ballyboden St Enda's 0-15 Thomas Davis 0-9

SEMI-FINAL

26 October Parnell Park Ballyboden St Enda's 2-10 St Jude's 1-10

QUARTER-FINAL

12 October Parnell Park Ballyboden St Enda’s 3-15 Na Fianna 1-15 (After extra-time)

SFC1 GROUP 2: (1) Ballyboden St Enda's 6pts, +31 scoring difference; (2) Clontarf (2, +5); (3) Lucan Sarsfields (2, -7); (4) Skerries Harps (2, -29)

28 September Parnell Park Ballyboden St Enda's 2-20 Skerries Harps 0-6

25 April Monastery Road Ballyboden St Enda's 1-19 Lucan Sarsfields 1-9

13 April O'Toole Park Ballyboden St Enda's 0-11 Clontarf 0-10

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DUBLIN AFL1

FINAL

12 December Ballyboden St Enda's v Ballymun Kickhams, 7.30

SEMI-FINAL

16 November Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 2-12 Lucan Sarsfields 2-6

DUBLIN AFL1 REGULATION GAMES

14 September Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 2-21 St Brigid's 0-13

3 September Kiltipper Road Thomas Davis 0-9 Ballyboden St Enda's 2-18

27 July Tymon North St Jude's 0-15 Ballyboden St Enda's 4-16

17 July Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 2-17 Fingallians 1-5

6 July Martin Savage Park St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh 1-11 Ballyboden St Enda's 2-12

26 June Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 3-15 Cuala 1-7

19 June Skerries Skerries Harps 0-7 Ballyboden St Enda's 2-12

8 June Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 6-20 Ballinteer St John's 0-9

26 May Páirc Nh Uinsionn St Vincent's 2-11 Ballyboden St Enda's 4-14

22 May Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 3-19 Lucan Sarsfields 3-15

12 May Rush St Maur's 1-13 Ballyboden St Enda's 4-14

7 May Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 2-15 Templegue Synge St 0-8

31 March St Mobhi Road Na Fianna 1-10 Ballyboden St Enda's 2-9

3 March Páirc Uí Mhurchú Ballyboden St Enda's 1-10 Kilmacud Crokes 1-10

17 February Páirc Ciceam Ballymun Kickhams 0-10 Ballyboden St Enda's 2-10

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LEINSTER CLUB SFC: Roll of Honour

=1 St Vincent's (Dublin) (7 titles) 1972, 1975, 1984, 2007, 2013, 2014, 2016 

=1 Portlaoise (Laois) (7) 1971, 1976, 1982, 1985, 1987, 2004, 2009

3 Éire Óg (Carlow) (5) 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998 

4 Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) (4) 1994, 2005, 2008, 2010 

=5 Moorefield (Kildare) (2) 2006, 2017 

=5 Thomas Davis (Dublin) (2) 1990, 1991 

=5 Walterstown (Meath) (2) 1980, 1983 

=5 Walsh Island (Offaly) (2) 1978, 1979 

=5 UCD (Dublin) (2) 1973, 1974 

= 10 Mullinalaghta St Columba's (Longford) (1) 2018 

=10 Ballyboden St Enda's (Dublin) (1) 2015 

=10 Ballymun Kickhams (Dublin) (1) 2012 

=10 Garrycastle (Westmeath) (1) 2011 

=10 St Brigid's (Dublin) (1) 2003 

=10 Dunshaughlin (Meath) (1) 2002 

=10 Rathnew (Wicklow) (1) 2001 

=10 O'Hanrahan's (Carlow) (1) 2000 

=10 Na Fianna (Dublin) (1) 1999 

=10 Erin's Isle (Dublin) (1) 1997 

=10 Baltinglass (Wicklow) (1) 1989 

=10 Parnell's (Dublin) (1) 1988 

=10 Ferbane (Offaly) (1) 1986 

=10 Raheens (Kildare) (1) 1981 

=10 Summerhill (Meath) (1) 1977

=10 Gracefield (Offaly) (1) 1970