Ballymun Kickhams Edge St Vincent’s in Tight Quarter-Final

Pic Courtesy Paul Barrett

BALLYMUN KICKHAMS 0-10 

ST VINCENT’S 1-5

Dean Rock kicked seven points as Ballymun Kickhams edged St Vincent’s by two-points in their disappointing Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship quarter-final at Parnell Park on Friday night.

James Brady’s 5^th minute goal handed St Vincent’s the early initiative but a quartet of Rock points saw Ballymun overtake their opponents by the interval, leading by 0-5 to 1-1.

The second-half failed to truly sparkle until the dying stages as Kickhams added late points through Rock and Davy Leonard to complete a narrow but deserved success.

There was little to entertain the large crowd in a cagey and unenterprising opening as both teams enjoyed plenty of possession without unduly troubling their opponents.

However, the contest burst into life in the 7^th minute as St Vincent’s patiently probed before releasing marauding wing-back Brady, who crashed a powerful effort beyond Seán Currie from eight metres.

The encounter improved significantly as a result as Ballymun reduced their deficit through a brace of points by Dean Rock, the second score a trademark curling effort on the loop following a pass by Fiach Andrews.

Rock’s score was matched by an equally exquisite Cian Dunne effort at the opposite end as St Vincent’s ended the first quarter holding a 1-1 to 0-2 lead.

Both teams spurned presentable chances to add to their tally as the half progressed with Dean Robertson shooting too close to Andy Smyth in the 18^th minute as the Vinnies keeper parried to safety.

Kickhams began to exert a degree of control towards the end of the half as Rock clipped over his third point in the 25^th minute before Smyth’s resultant kick-out was intercepted, allowing Robbie Bolger to level matters from thirty metres.

Another Rock free saw Ballymun take the lead two minutes later and an excellent interception from the back-tracking Bolger ensured his side entered the break with a narrow one-point advantage.

Bolger and Rock combined well within three minutes of the restart as the latter punched over Smyth’s crossbar and Rock continued to dominate the scoring as he converted another free in the 38^th minute.

Vinnies were in dire need of a score at this stage, having been held scoreless for twenty-eight minutes, and it duly arrived through a superbly-struck free from Paul Reynolds Hand just inside the ‘45’ metre line.

It failed to generate too much momentum however as James McCarthy bobbed and weaved his way through the Vins defence on his way to splitting the uprights.

Gavin Burke replied with a fine score of his own to bring their deficit down to a more manageable two points as the contest remained delicately poised by the end of the third quarter.

Another excellent free by Reynolds Hand in the 50^th minute saw that margin halved and it was of scant surprise that the teams were deadlocked six minutes later as substitute Bill Costello popped over a facile free.

Crucially, Ballymun regained the initiative through a Rock free and a Leonard effort on the counter-attack with some late pressure on the Kickhams goal proving in vain for St Vincent’s by the final whistle.

Scorers – Ballymun Kickhams: D Rock 0-7 (5f), R Bolger, J McCarthy, D Leonard 0-1 apiece. St Vincent’s: J Brady 1-0; P Reynolds Hand 0-2 (2f); G Burke, B Costello (f), C Dunne 0-1 apiece.

Ballymun Kickhams: S Currie; E Dolan, J Small, E Hill; D Conlon, L Young, D Robertson; J McCarthy, A Elliot; F Andrews, P Small, C McManus; D Byrne, R Bolger, D Rock. Subs: D Leonard for McManus (47), C McCormack for Elliot (52), C Tighe for Byrne (54), A Hubbard for Andrews (61), D Keating for Bolger (62).

St Vincent’s: A Smyth; J McCusker, A Cummins, S O’Leary; J Brady, M L’Estrange, C Wilson; D Cummins, N Mullins; J Kelly, G Burke, M Concarr; P Reynolds Hand, C Dunne, A Martin. Subs: J Curley for Mullins (35), B Costello for O’Leary (46), N Matthews for Concarr (54), K O’Brien for Martin (57),

Referee: Barry Tiernan (O’Dwyer’s).