Round-up: Holders Boden recover from slow start (SFC1)

Defending Dublin SFC1 and Leinster SFC holders, Ballyboden St Enda's, recovered from a slow start to overpower Clontarf, 4-20 to 2-8, in their SFC1 Group 3 opener at Páirc Uí Mhurchú on Saturday evening.

However, it was Clontarf, for whom Mayo star Chris Barrett made his club debut, who dominated the opening quarter with 2-2 from Kevin Lillis helping the Dublin 3 side to a 2-5 to 0-5 lead.

The game was only in its opening minute when Lillis showed his eye for a score when beating Boden keeper Darragh Gogan from close range.

Lillis had a second goal opportunity but his rising shot clipped the bar on the way over before he did raise a second green flag following good approach play by Jack McCaffrey.

If Clontarf, who lined out without former Dublin U21 players Andy Foley and Declan Monaghan as well as current U20 Kieran McKeon, were on top in the opening quarter of the game the concluding quarter belonged solely to Boden who hit 3-7 in that period to run out 18-point victors.

From a position of leading 1-13 to 2-8 as the clock showed 45 minutes goals from Colm Basquel (penalty), who tallied 1-10 (1-0 pen, 0-5f) overall, Warren Egan (his second) and sub Simon Lambert saw the hosts sweep to a comprehensive victory.

In the opening half points from the highly impressive Ross McGarry, who finished with 0-4 from play, and Conal Keaney, who hit 0-4 (0-1f), gave Boden a foothold following Clontarf's initial scoring blitz and Egan's first goal had the sides level, 1-9 to 2-6, at the half-time interval with Michael Darragh Macauley doing well at midfield.

In the other Group 3 contest St VIncent's edged out Whitehall Colmcille 2-15 to 1-13, Cormac Costello getting the home side's goal, at Collins Avenue with a late Tomás Quinn penalty eventually seeing the Marino men to victory after the home side had applied plenty of late pressure. Current Dublin U20 panellist Seán Lowry got Vincent's first goal.

Quinn tallied 1-8 in total (1-0 pen, 0-4f, 0-1 '45') as he starred for the winners while Dublin hurler Eogan O'Donnell was very impressive in attack for Whitehall with his ball-winning ability.

O'Donnell also played provider for Whitehall's early goal when he cut out a ball out of the Vincent's defence before attacking with pace and offloading to Costello who side-footed to the net with his left.

Whitehall quickly tagged on a point when defender, Dublin U20 Lee Gannon, joined the attack to fire over impressively to give his side a 1-1 to 0-0 lead inside four minutes.

Two Tomás Quinn frees, the first from 43 metres, was followed by a Diarmuid Connolly free, from his hands off the left, to close the gap to 1-1 to 0-3.

Costello hit frees either side of a fine Liam McGovern, who was make his club SFC debut, point and the sides exchanged scores in a decent opening half with Quinn (two frees), Connolly (free) and Seán Lowry on target for Vinnies and Costello bringing his first half tally to 1-3 (0-3f) as the sides entered the half-time break with the Marino men 0-9 to 1-4 in front. 

Vincent's, after concluding the opening half with three unanswered points, maintained that momentum on the restart.

Two minutes into the second half Albert Martin fetched a Michael Savage kickout, fed Nathan Mullins the move who carried possession before placing Seán Lowry whose low angled drive found the Whitehall net.

Brian Mullins' men were far more clincial with possession than their opponents during this spell with Greg Murphy and Tomás Quinn, his sixth point (0-3f, 0-1 '45') extending their advantage to 1-11 to 1-4 by the 36th minute.

Shane Carthy, with the first of his two second half points from play, made it 1-12 to 1-6 but inside the final ten minutes, including injury time, Whitehall came with a late scoring surge.

Cormac Costello brought his tally to 1-8 (0-7f) with Hugh McInerney and Keith Campbell also on target s they closed the gap to two points before Tomás Quinn converted from the penalty spot following a foul on Mark L'Estrange, another who was making his club SFC starting debut.

Kilmacud Crokes hit the ground running in their comprehensive Dublin SFC1 Group 4 victory (6-13 to 0-10) over Raheny at Silver Park.

Dublin senior Paul Mannion hit two goals for the home side, his first in the opening minutes, while Dublin U20 Conor Kinsella got a second before the break as the Stillorgan men held a 2-8 to 0-4 advantage at the half-time break.

Experienced Dublin senior Cian O'Sullivan enjoyed a very positive display at centre-back while the midfield duo of Conor Casey and Craig Dias gave the home side a commanding foothold.

In the last quarter Crokes piled the misery on their opponents with goals from Dara Jones, Mark O’Leary, Mannion, his second three-pointer, and Niall O’Leary.

The other Group 4 encounter saw hosts Castleknock get the better of St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh (2-15 to 1-11) in Somerton Park.

A dominant spell either side of half time was pivotal to Castleknock's victory as they hit 2-5 without reply to put themselves in the driving position.

In a very even opening half during which the sides were level on seven occasions.

Dublin senior Seán Bugler clipped two early scores for Plunkett's before scores from Seamus O’Carroll, Tommy McDaniel, Ciarán Kilkenny, operating at centre-back, and Rob Shaw buoyed the Castleknock challenge.

The Dublin 15 side were also thankful to goalkeeper Morven Connolly who made the first of three great saves at the midpoint to keep his defence intact.

Inside the last ten minutes for the opening half Plunkett's led 0-7 to 0-5 before Castleknock's scoring surge of 1-4 without reply gave them a five-point half-time lead.

Ger McDermottroe fired over a point following good work by Paul Bourke before Westmeath senior Tommy McDaniel, who scored 0-4 overall (including one free and one mark) added two points.

Then in the last minute of normal time Conor Chawke, having started the move, put the finishing touch on a fine Castleknock move to goal and give his side a 1-9 to 0-7 lead.

Castleknock restarted on the front foot with a Darragh Warnock point, following good work by Eoin O'Brien, before a Ger McDermottroe penalty pushed his side 2-10 to 0-7 clear.

Plunkett's lifted their game and battled back and with five minutes remaining Dublin legend Bernard Brogan left three points between the sides, 2-11 to 1-11, when he scored his side's only goal.

But Castleknock finished the stronger with Shane Boland enjoying an influential conclusion to the game as he drove at the Plunkett's defence to telling effect with Ger McDermottroe grabbing a point before Ben Galvin, son of current Dublin senior selector and All-Ireland SFC winner in 1995, Mick, hit three points to seal the deal for Castleknock.

Runners-up of last year, Thomas Davis, got their SFC1 Group 1 campaign off to a 2-14 to 0-11 victory over Round Towers Lusk in Kiltipper Road.

Paul Hudson, who has represented Dublin at minor, U21 and senior level, made his return to action having lived abroad with two points with Dublin senior hurler David Keogh and Conor Guilfoyle got the goals in their victory.

Liam Bohan (0-6) and Cormac Howley (0-4) did the scoring for Lusk.

Dean Rock and Paddy Small led the way for Ballymun Kickhams in their 3-18 to 0-12 Group1 victory over Skerries Harps in Páirc Ciceam.

The Dublin senior duo scored an impressive 2-13 between them as the Mun got off to a commanding opening to their campaign.

Former Dublin minor and U21 Harry Dawson made his return following a long injury-enforced lay-off for Skerries Harps and slotted two points.