Preview: Dublin SHC ‘A’ semi-finals

Wed, 2nd September 2020

DUBLIN SHC 'A' SEMI-FINALS

SUNDAY, SEPT 6

Parnell Park: Cuala v Lucan Sarsfields, 2.0

Parnell Park: Ballyboden St Enda's v Na Fianna, 4.30

Watch both games - and the Senior B semi-finals - LIVE on Dubs TV Details here

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Two of this year's Dublin SHC 'A' semi-finalists have dominated the modern hurling landscape in the capital while the other two contenders left in the race are searching for their first title.

Cuala and Ballyboden St Enda's have won the last five Dublin SHC top-flight titles (Cuala iin 2015-17 and 2019 with Boden prevailing in 2018).

Also if you go back through the last ten winners only Kilmacud Crokes in 2012 and 2014 have broken the stranglehold of the duo - Boden winning in 2010, '11 (to complete a five in-a-row), and '13 while Cuala won three in-a-row from 2015 to 2017 and then regained the New Ireland Assurance Cup last year after Boden had reclaimed it in 2018.

While Lucan have yet to claim the title they reached the decider in 2013 (losing to Boden 0-13 to 0-10), Na Fianna have yet to feature in a Dublin SHC final and last featured at the semi-final stage in 1988 (having also lost semi-finals in 1986 and '87).

However, Na Fianna enter this Sunday's semi-finals as the only team with a 100 per cent record having won their three Group 4 games before defeating Faughs by double scores (4-20 to 2-10) in their quarter-final.

Three second-half goals saw the St Mobhi Road side cruise to a comfortable 16-point victory over Faughs in Parnell Park last time out.

Na Fianna led by five points at the break, 1-11 to 2-3, but early second half goals from Micheál Murphy and Martin Quilty saw the Mobhi Road men move out of sight.

They finished the game at their ease with the impressive Donal Burke, two tallied 2-10 (0-4f) overall, hitting his second goal with points from the Dublin hurler Burke (free), Paul O’Dea and Kieran Murphy adding gloss to their final scoring tally with towering full-forward Seán Ryan, introduced as a sub for the second half, provided a good target man for Niall O Ceallacháin's team.

Na Fianna are the top scorers to date in the SHC 'A' having amassed 16-91 in their four games with the likes of Donal Burke, Seán Currie and AJ Murphy leading the way while Colin Currie, who missed the quarter-final, scored 0-9 (0-6f) in their final group game against Cuala (Na Fianna winning 3-23 to 2-20).

Their opponents on Sunday, Ballyboden St Enda's, have responded well to their disappointment of their opening group phase defeat to Kilmacud Crokes (4-18 to 0-16) with victories over Scoil Uí Chonaill (4-29 to 0-6), Craobh Chiaráin (2-20 to 2-10) before overcoming St Vincent's with ten points to spare in their quarter-final (1-18 to 1-8).

A dominant second half saw Ballyboden run out comfortable winners against the Marino side.

Boden were much the better side in the second period and after leading by four points at the break scored the opening four scores on the restart to move 0-14 to 0-6 clear by the 39th minute.

The hard-grafting Niall McMorrow kickstarted this scoring flow with Conal Keaney adding two excellent points either side of a close-range Paul Ryan free.

John Hetherton, with a free, briefly broke Boden’s momentum but Joe Fortune’s men were not long in getting back into the scoring swing of it.

Paul Ryan hit two frees and a ‘65’ before clinically dispatching a penalty in the 52nd minute, after the influential Conal Keaney had been fouled.

That put Boden 1-17 to 0-7 clear and despite a John Hetherton goal from a free it was Boden’s day for whom Paul Ryan scored 1-9 (1-0pen, 0-5f, 0-2 '65') and Conal Keaney 0-4 from play.

“There’s huge spirit in that group and you’d have to be happy with the result,” reflected Ballyboden manager Joe Fortune.

“We wouldn’t be too happy with the performance overall, that last ten or 15 minutes we would need to look at and certain aspects of the first half as well but any time you come out with a win over St Vincent’s is a good day.

“That team is driven by themselves, it’s not all coming from the line and we contained them very well against the breeze in the first-half.

“We left here last year with a ten-point defeat and we knew how that hurt so maybe there was something inside the lads about that.

“Those lads have been around the block long enough, long before I came in.

“We’re happy to be in the semi-final but that’s what it is, just a semi-final,” added Fortune.

The Ballyboden St Enda's versus Na Fianna takes place on Sunday in Parnell Park (4.30) and is preceded by the clash of reigning champions Cuala and Lucan Sarsfields (2.0).

Lucan Sarsfields work-rate and intensity was exceptional in their semi-final victory over Kilmacud Crokes (0-16 to 1-12).

Sarsfields trailed by a point at the break, 0-9 to 0-8, but with the wind at their back put in a very determined second half to topple Crokes.

A injury-time goal from a free from Ronan Hayes from 23 metres, which was moved forward for dissent, cut the gap to the minimum but Lucan deservedly held on.

It took Crokes 24 minutes to score from play in the second half – a telling statistic on a frustrating afternoon for the Stillorgan side.

Sarsfields had heroes all over the park with Ronan Smith and John McCaffrey among others highlighting their will to win. Up front Chris Crummey and younger brother Paul did well with Chris hitting five points from play.

Goalkeeper Cillian Murray also played a key role with his penalty save when denying Ronan Hayes in the seventh minute of the second half a crucial moment in the contest.

Late on he also saved a quick snap shot from Mark Grogan with Oisín O’Rorke unable to steer the rebound home from a very tight angle.

Ben Coffey converted four second-half frees with Matt McCaffrey striking a brilliant point in the 44th minute when following great collective defence Matt McCaffrey and Peter Kelly combined to telling effect.

Looking ahead to Sunday's contest Lucan Sarsfields manager Seán McCaffrey said: “I think that any time you get a run of games like we’ve just had, you should be improving with every one and that’s what has happened with us.

“We weren’t at our best in our first two group games against Ballinteer St John’s and St Oliver Plunkett’s even though we won both matches, but that was probably understandable because of the long break that we had.

“There were signs in the match against St Vincent’s that we were beginning to play ourselves into form, and I was very encouraged by what I saw from the team that day despite only drawing the game.

“There was good intensity to their play that day and they carried that attitude into the match against Kilmacud.

“In fairness, we knew we had to produce against Crokes, given how well they had played in the group stages, and I certainly think that playing a team of that calibre helped motivate our lads.

“The intensity was top-notch and I feel that we got our match-ups right that day, but we need to make sure that something similar happens next Sunday.“While we’ve been very happy with our form recently, we’re well aware of the need to be more clinical in front of goal.“We scored 16 points against Kilmacud but I’d imagine we’ll need to score more than that the next day so we’ll be working on creating goal chances in the build-up to next weekend.

“We only really created one goal chance against Crokes so that’s an area that needs to be looked at, especially as the Cuala forwards are very capable at racking up decent scores.

“Of course, if Con (O’Callaghan) plays, that gives them an added dimension up front, but we have been very happy with our defence up to now – and they showed last week that they can hold some very talented forwards.

“Whoever we drew for the semi-final was going to be a tough challenge and it doesn’t get any tougher than the county champions.

“Having said that, we’re not afraid of any team that we meet and all the lads realise that they’re in the last four of the championship and it’s a massive opportunity for them,” he added.

Holders Cuala kept their ambitions of back-to-back titles on track when defeating St Brigid’s by nine points (1-26 to 2-14) in the their quarter-final, which was a repeat of last year's decider.

Despite lining out without Con O'Callaghan the Dalkey side laid the platform for their victory with a dominant wind-assisted first-half display to lead by 11 points at the half-time break.

Crucually Cuala put in a strong opening half and by the break they were 0-19 to 0-8 ahead, that after Brigid’s had scored the last two points of the half through David Breslin and a Cian O’Sullivan free following a foul on Eoghan Dunne.

The opening minutes were even before the champions of last year established a very strong foothold.

Points from Diarmuid O Floinn (Cuala), Ciarán Kellett (St Brigid’s), a David Treacy free (Cuala), Cian O’Sullivan (St Brigid’s) saw the sides level before two David Treacy points (one free) pushed his side 0-4 to 0-2 up after five minutes.

Cian O’Sullivanbrought equality again before Cuala reeled off four points in quick succession – Colm Cronin, David Treacy (two, one free), and Niall Carty, following an intercept from Darragh O’Connell, on target.

Cian O’Sullivan converted a free before Cuala put clear daylight between the sides with seven unanswered points.

David Treacy, who tallied 0-14 (0-10f) overall, started the sequence with a point before Seán Moran, Darragh O’Connell, Liam Murphy, Niall Carthy, Murphy again and Jake Malone raised white flags to propel the Dalkey side into a 0-15 to 0-4 advantage.

Ciarán Kellett reduced the gap for Brigid’s but again they were put on the back foot as a long-range David Treacy free, a point from play off his left by the same player, and Mark Schutte tagging on another to push the lead out to 13 points, 0-18 to 0-5 and by the break they were 0-19 to 0-8 clear.

It was a signal of intent by the champions but Lucan, following their defeat of one of the then form teams Crokes, will enter Sunday's contest in optimistic mood.

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LUCAN SARSFIELDS

Group 1: Second (Two wins, one draw. Finished behind St Vincent's on scoring difference)

Group results: Lucan Sarsfields 2-18 Ballinteer St John's 1-14; St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh 1-16 Lucan Sarsfields 2-15; Lucan Sarsfields 1-17 St Vincent's 1-17

Quarter-final result: Lucan Sarsfields 0-16 Kilmacud Crokes 1-12

Scored to date: 5-66 (81)

Average scored per game: 20.25

Conceded to date: 4-59 (71)

Average conceded per game: 17.75

Number of Dublin SHC titles: 0

Last time Dublin SHC holders: N/A

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BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S

Group 2: Second (Two wins, Kilmacud Crokes topped group)

Group results: Kilmacud Crokes 4-18 Ballyboden St Enda's 0-16; Scoil Uí Chonaill 0-6 Ballyboden St Enda's 4-29; Ballyboden St Enda's 2-20 Craobh Chiaráin 2-10

Quarter-final result: Ballyboden St Enda's 1-18 St Vincent's 1-8

Scored to date: 7-83 (104)

Average scored per game: 26

Conceded to date: 7-42 (63)

Average conceded per game: 15.75

Number of Dublin SHC titles: 7

Last time Dublin SHC holders: 2018

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NA FIANNA

Group 4: First (Three wins)

Group results: Na Fianna 5-32 Setanta 1-16; Thomas Davis 1-13 Na Fianna 4-16; Na Fianna 3-23 Cuala 2-20

Quarter-final result: Na Fianna 4-20 Faughs 2-10

Scored to date: 16-91 (139)

Average scored per game: 34.75

Conceded to date: 6-59 (77)

Average conceded per game: 19.25

Number of Dublin SHC titles: 0

Last time Dublin SHC holders: N/A

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CUALA

Group 4: Second (Two wins)

Group results: Cuala 1-22 Thomas Davis 0-15; Setanta 0-12 Cuala 1-22; Na Fianna 3-23 Cuala 2-20

Quarter-final result: Cuala 1-26 St Brigid's 2-14

Scored to date: 5-90 (105)

Average scored per game: 26.25

Conceded to date: 5-64 (79)

Average conceded per game: 19.75

Number of Dublin SHC titles: 7

Last time Dublin SHC holders: 2019

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ROLL OF HONOUR: Dublin SHC (New Ireland Assurance Cup)

Faughs 31 1892, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1906, 1910, 1911, 1914, 1915, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1930, 1936, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1946, 1950, 1952, 1970, 1973, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1999

St Vincent’s 13 1953, 1954, 1955, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1988, 1993

Commercials 9 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1916

UCD 8 1934, 1947, 1948, 1961, 1968, 2000, 2004, 2005

O'Toole’s 8 1969, 1977, 1984, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002

Ballyboden St Enda's 7 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018

Cuala 7 1989, 1991, 1994, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019

Kilmacud Crokes 6 1966 (as Crokes club), 1974, 1976, 1985, 2012, 2014

Garda 6 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931

Young Irelands 6 1932, 1937, 1942, 1943, 1949, 1965

Craobh Chiaráin 5 1971, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006

Kickhams 4 1889, 1890, 1908, 1924

Rapparees 3 1891, 1894, 1912