Jude’s are always very hard to beat: Philly McMahon

It's down to the knockout stages of the Dublin SFC1 with the quarter-finals taken place this weekend in Parnell Park.

The meeting of Ballymun Kickhams and St Jude's on Saturday (4.0) gets the action underway.

Kickhams were last champions in 2012 but their experienced Dublin defender Philly McMahon is not looking any further than Donnycarney this weekend.

“It’s tough for us because we have six players playing for Dublin and it’s hard for the management team to mould a group of players coming back," says Philly.

“You have to remember four (Philly, John Small, James McCarthy and Dean Rock) of them, and even Evan (Comerford) this year got a bit of game-time, but four of them have had massive loads on their body.

“So, it’s going to be hard for us and it has been hard for us to get a complete performance out of the whole group.

“We have good management there and Brendan Hackett understands intercounty football, so hopefully we’ll pull together and get a few performances but we can’t be thinking past Jude’s.

“They are always big and strong and they are a good club team. They are like St Vincent’s, in that they haven’t got that many Dublin lads so they are playing together all year so they are very hard to beat and they are a team you have respect for,” adds Philly.

Ballymun Kickhams finished top of Dublin SFC1 Group 4 after finishing stronger than Castleknock in their concluding round-robin game to maintain their 100 per cent record with a 2-13 to 1-13 victory.

Inspired by Shane Boland and Ciarán Kilkenny, who goaled eight minutes into the second half, along with the accuracy of Seamus O’Carroll Castleknock moved into a 1-13 to 1-10 lead with ten minutes remaining.

However, the Mun dominated the last ten minutes with intercounty stars James McCarthy, John Small and Dean Rock to the fore.

Rock hit two points in quick succession before a lapse in the Castleknock defence presented Paddy Small with the simplest of tasks as he fired to the net to put his side 2-12 to 1-13 clear before subs Small added the insurance point.

Ballymun began the brighter to lead 0-5 to 0-1 inside 15 minutes but Castleknock took over and points from Greg Gibson (two), Tommy Corcoran, Kilkenny (free), Ben Galvin and Rob Shaw had the Dublin 15 leading 0-7 to 0-6 after 30 minutes.

But in first-half injury-time James McCarthy surged forward to take a pass before splitting the posts and in the last action of the opening period Rock finished clinically to the Knock net from ten metres to give his side a 1-7 to 0-7 interval lead.

Jude's and St Sylvester's had both already booked their quarter-final spots before Syls defeated Jude's in their last match 2-14 to 1-11 in Parnell Park.

Alex Wright hit 1-2 for the Malahide men while Ross Hazley did well in the target man role at full-forward.

Syls raced into a 1-7 lead inside 20 minutes with Jack Hazley hitting their goal before Jude’s through points from Kevin McManamon and a Billy Sheehan goal to leave it 1-9 to 1-6 at half-time.

Wright’s goal three minutes into the second half paved the way to victory.

The second game on Saturday sees Na Fianna face Ballyboden St Enda's (5.45) at the Donnycarney venue.

Sunday's double-header is Kilmacud Crokes versus St Sylvester's (2.15) before holders St Vincent's encounter Castleknock (4.0) in a repeat of the 2016 Dublin SFC final.

The Marino men had already booked their berth in the last eight but signed off the round-robin stage with a commanding 4-19 to 0-12 victory over Lucan Sarsfields in O'Toole Park.

The Marino men led 1-10 to 0-8 at the interval with Cormac Diamond getting the only goal of the first-half and added three more in the second period to run out 19-point victors. Adam Baxter grabbed two of those second-half goals with Enda Varley striking the other.

As a result Na Fianna's 1-12 to 1-12 draw with Skerries Harps in Parnell Park was enough for the St Mobhi Road side to book the second last-eight qualification spot in the group.

They had to do it the hard way against a Stephen Smith-inspired Skerries with the impressive corner-forward kicking 1-7 (0-4) as he took his side to the brink of qualification.

Smith's well-taken goal six minutes into the second half put Skerries 1-8 to 0-5 clear after they had held the upperhand in the first-half to lead 0-8 to 0-5 at the break.

But Na Fianna showed good resolve to battle back with Aaron Byrne's clinically taken penalty proving a much needed boost following a foul in the square on James Doran.

Doran and Byrne were second-half subs as was Alasdar Fitzgerald and all three play their part in their second-half revival with Doran also kicking a fine point and Fitzgerald's fisted point late on giving Na Fianna a 1-12 to 1-11 lead in the fourth minute of added time before Skerries defender Ross McGarry kicked the equalizer in the fifth minute of injury-time.

In the opening half Skerries made the early running and three points from Stephen Smith, two from play, gave his side a 0-3 to 0-0 lead inside six minutes. By the midpoint of the half Harps were 0-5 to 0-1 to the good following two more Smith frees.

Na Fianna were showing some signs of a recovery before the break with points form Tim Foran (free) and Conor McHugh to trail by three at the interval.

However, Smith's brilliantly taken goal when he worked his way in along the endline before sliding the ball under keeper David O'Hanlon propelled his side into a six-point lead and Na Fianna's SFC1 quarter-final hopes at that juncture looked in serious trouble.

Two Michael Deegan frees and a point from wing-back Eoin Connolly made it 1-9 each with seven minutes remaining.

Kevin Gilmore nosed Harps back in front before Doran and Sean Caffrey were on target to edge Na Fianna in front my the minimum entering added time.

Over the course of a dramatic last few minutes Killiian McGinnis, Fitzgerald and McGarry exchanged points but when the dust had settled the draw was sufficient for Na Fianna to progress to the quarter-finals.

Ballyboden St Enda’s and Kilmacud Crokes advanced from the round-robin section of the Dublin SFC1 Group 1 to the quarter-finals.

Boden drew 0-13 to 2-7 with St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh in Parnell Park to book the second qualification berth with Crokes maintaining their 100 per cent record to top the group following their low scoring 0-7 to 0-4 victory over Raheny in Balgriffin.

Ryan Basquel was Boden's stand-out forward as he tallied three points from play as well as converting three frees. However, Conal Keaney also slotted two important points just after Plunkett's got on level terms early in the second-half following a Bernard Brogan goal after they trailed by three points at the interval.

The Firhouse Road men led 0-6 to 0-3 at the break with Ross McGarry, Ryan Basquel, Colm Basquel (free) and Shane Durkin on target while Gareth Smith (two frees) and Sean Bugler got the scores for Paul Curran's side.

Three minutes into the second-half half-time sub Alan Brogan kicked an excellent point for Plunkett's but after the resultant kickout both Brogan and Boden's Bob Dwan were dismissed for something off the ball.

Plunkett's then introduced Bernard Brogan and he made a fairly instant impact with a well-taken goal to bring the sides level. But Keaney crucially slotted two points for Anthony Rainbow's outfit.

The drama was not finished though as Ross McConnell set up Rory O'Connor for a goal late on to give Plunkett's a 2-7 to 0-11 lead before the Basquel brothers, Colm and Ryan, ensured a draw for Boden. It was enough to see them into the last-eight.

Kilmacud Crokes following up on their victories over Ballyboden St Enda's and St Oliver Plunkett's/ER earlier in the round-robin stage with a 0-7 to 0-4 victory over Raheny in Innisfails grounds, Balgriffin.

It was a lacklustre duel with Crokes doing enough to secure the victory as they led 0-4 to 0-2 at half-time, with Raheny's scores coming from Brian Fenton and a Michael Grenham free.

Dublin forward Paul Mannion was held in reserve until the final 15 minutes and he kicked a point on his introduction and with Pat Burke also on the scoreboard Crokes 0-7 to 0-3 entering the last ten minutes.

DUBLIN SFC1 QUARTER-FINALS

SATURDAY

Parnell Park: Ballymun Kickhams v St Jude’s, 4.0

Parnell Park: Ballyboden St Enda’s v Na Fianna, 5.45

SUNDAY

Parnell Park: Kilmacud Crokes v St Sylvester’s, 2.15

Parnell Park: Castleknock v St Vincent’s, 4.0