Boden Make Winning Start to Go-Ahead Senior 1 Hurling Championship Campaign

Wed, 12th July 2023

Image courtesy Conor Ryan

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S 2-25

ST OLIVER PLUNKETT/ER 1-17

Ballyboden St Enda’s made a winning start to their Go Ahead Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 2 campaign when accounting for St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh by eleven points at O’Toole Park on Wednesday evening.

The winning margin was a flattering one, given there was little to separate the teams throughout, with Niall McMorrow’s superbly taken goal in the 50^th minute proving the killer blow for Plunkett’s, who unravelled from that juncture, failing to score for the remainder of the game.

A brilliant Ben McSweeney goal in the 42^nd minute had left just a point between the teams, and a genuine shock look on the cards as Plunkett’s had the benefit of the breeze to assist Bill McCormack’s lengthy puck-outs.

However, McMorrow’s goal punctured their optimism in an instant as a more relaxed St Enda’s team enhanced their buffer with some classy scores in the closing minutes.

It was Plunkett’s that made the first impression on the scoreboard in the opening minute through Neil Clerkin with Boden hitting back in an instant through the hugely influential Niall Ryan.

Ryan’s running from midfield caused numerous headaches for the Plunkett’s defence and while McCormack repelled his goal bound shot in the 6^th minute, he proved helpless three minutes later as Conor Dooley picked up the rebound after Aidan Mellett had been denied.

Plunkett’s kept in touch however through the free-taking of Ger Ryan while Cian Boland caught the eye with two points from play and his general tidiness in possession.

Paul Ryan converted a couple of frees to keep his side on the front foot and with Adam Kelleher and Niall Ryan both adding a brace of scores, St Enda’s entered the break with a marginal 1-12 to 0-12 advantage.

Ger Ryan could and should have restored parity within seconds of the restart, dragging wide with the goal at his mercy, with St Enda’s taking full advantage to double their lead to six points through unanswered scores by Kelleher, Paul Ryan and Sean McDonnell.

However, their play deteriorated from that point as their opponents wrestled back the initiative thanks to welcome points from Seán Clerkin and David Phelan before McSweeney rounded Stephen O’Connor en route to firing emphatically beyond Matty Nolan in the Ballyboden goal.

Niall Ryan and McSweeney traded points to leave the bare minimum between the sides by the 48^th minute before a defensive lapse allowed Paul Ryan to release McMorrow through on goal, and the finish was as clinical as it was inevitable.

Suddenly, the verve which Plunkett’s had displayed was suddenly marked absent while the pressure lifted from Boden shoulders, allowing James Madden, Niall Ryan, McMorrow and Conal Keaney to tag on scores in the dying minutes.

Scorers – Ballyboden St Enda’s: N McMorrow 1-4, P Ryan 0-6 (3f, 2 ‘65’), N Ryan 0-5, C Dooley 1-0, A Kelleher 0-3, J Madden, A Mellett 0-2 each, S Lambert, S McDonnell, C Keaney 0-1 apiece. St Oliver Plunkett/ER: G Ryan 0-6 (4f, 1 ’65), B McSweeney 1-2, B McCormack (2f), S Clerkin, C Boland 0-2 each, B McDonnell, N Clerkin, D Phelan 0-1 apiece.

Ballyboden St Enda’s: M Nolan; R Leddy, S O’Connor, L Mulligan Lynch; J Madden, S Lambert, L McDwyer; S McDonnell, N Ryan; P Ryan, N McMorrow, A Mellett; A Kelleher, T Hammersley, C Dooley. Subs: S Durkin for Hammersley (half-time), P Dunleavy for O’Connor (42), P Christie for Kelleher (55), C Keaney for McDonnell (58), K Desmond for Mellett (61).

St Oliver Plunkett/ER: B McCormack; C Tyrrell, K O’Gorman, C Scully; F Boland, S Clerkin, D Phelan; J O’Shea, I Popa; C Hayes, B McDonnell, C Boland; N Clerkin, G Ryan, B McSweeney. Subs: R Ó Broin for N Clerkin (38), D McSweeney for Hayes (51), C Foley for Phelan (56), M Popa for I Popa (58).

Referee: Ciarán Reilly (Na Fianna).