Ballyboden St Endas progress into Go-Ahead Football Semi Final after win over Castleknock

Pic Courtesy to Niall O'Connell

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 1-19 

CASTLEKNOCK 0-11

A second-half penalty from Ryan Basquel helped Ballyboden St Enda’s get the better of Castleknock by double scores in their Go Ahead Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship quarter-final encounter at Parnell Park on Saturday evening.

By that stage, St Enda’s were comfortably in the ascendancy against a Castleknock side that failed to display the attacking verve that was a feature of their impressive group campaign.

The Dublin 15 outfit will rue a disappointing end to the first-half that saw them concede four points in the final five minutes of the half while Rob O’Shea also received a black card to undermine their chances even further.

The half started brightly however with Senan Forker popping over an excellent point in the opening minute with Ballyboden levelling matters in an instant through a Colm Basquel free.

Tommy McDaniel and Ryan O’Dwyer exchanged points as the first-quarter evolved with a fine Kevin Stephenson point at the end of the quarter reflecting well on Castleknock’s ambitions.

St Enda’s hit back with three points on the bounce from Darragh Gogan (‘45’), Ryan Basquel (free) and a typically jinking effort by Ross McGarry to push 0-5 to 0-3 clear by the 21^st minute.

Castleknock’s response was impressive with McDaniel eschewing a goal opportunity when fisting over the crossbar and a sumptuous effort with the outside of the boot from Ger McDermottroe saw the teams deadlocked once again with six minutes of the half remaining.

It was at this stage that St Enda’s seized the initiative as Céin D’Arcy, Colm Basquel (2) and O’Dwyer all spilt the upright to move Boden 0-9 to 0-5 ahead by half-time.

That momentum was maintained upon the resumption as St Enda’s took availed of their numerical advantage to put further daylight between the teams thanks to Colm Basquel, Warren Egan and Ryan Basquel.

Back to their full complement, Castleknock fought back with a trio of unanswered points of their own through McDermottroe, Ben Galvin and Rob Shaw to increase the chances of a tight conclusion to matters.

Such an eventuality never materialised however as Ballyboden regained their authority following points from O’Dwyer, Colm Basquel and Ryan Basquel before the latter crashed home a penalty in the 49^th minute as Ciaran murphy was adjudged to have blocked McGarry’s goal bound shot with his foot.

The contest inevitably petered out from that juncture with Boden substitute Daire Sweeney converting a brace of smart frees to leave his side eleven points to the good by the final whistle.

Scorers – Ballyboden St Enda’s: R Basquel 1-3 (1-0pen, 0-1f), C Basquel 0-5 (5f), R O’Dwyer 0-4 (1f), D Sweeney 0-2 (2f), D Gogan (‘45’), C D’Arcy, R McGarry, W Egan, M McDonald 0-1 apiece. Castleknock: T McDaniel 0-4 (3f), G McDermottroe 0-2 (1 mark), R Shaw, K Stephenson, S Forker, C Kilkenny, B Galvin 0-1 apiece.

Ballyboden St Enda’s: D Gogan; S Clayton, B Bobbett, C Flaherty; K Kennedy, J Holland, A Gavin; C D’Arcy, M Macauley; L O’Donoghue, R McGarry, W Egan; R O’Dwyer, R Basquel, C Basquel. Subs: P Dunleavy for Bobbett (46), M McDonald for Macauley (50), D O’Reilly for O’Donoghue (50), D Sweeney for R Basquel (51), R Baines for C Basquel (55).

Castleknock: M Connolly; R O’Shea, C Murphy, T Shields; R Shaw, E O’Brien, S Forker; D Warnock, K Stephenson; S Boland, L Swan, C Boyle; G McDermottroe, C Kilkenny, T McDaniel. Subs: B Galvin for Boyle (half-time), C Chawke for Boland (46), T Quinn for Shields (51), K Kindlon for McDermottroe (51), N Millmore for Shaw (58).

Referee: Séamus Farrelly (Ballinteer St John’s).