Ballyboden St Enda’s 2-8
St Vincent’s 0-10
– Niall Kelly reports from Parnell Park
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S dethroned champions St Vincent’s in a thrilling Dublin senior football final in Parnell Park.
A goal in either half from Andrew Kerin helped Boden upset the odds and lift the county title for the first time since 2009.
Andy McEntee’s side will now begin their bid for a first Leinster title when they face Louth champions St Patrick’s in the provincial quarter-finals next weekend.
Despite finishing with six unanswered points, Vincent’s left themselves with a mountain to climb in pursuit of a third straight crown.
It took them until the 22nd minute to register their first score, and it was no surprise that they trailed by 1-7 to 0-3 at the break.
Two points from Ryan Basquel and one from brother Colm, along with a Kerin free, helped Boden into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead inside seven minutes.
The impressive Darren O’Reilly added a fine score before Kerin struck for the game’s opening goal on 14 minutes.
His shot dropped in front of the Vincent’s goal and after Colm Basquel did brilliantly to recover, Kerin was on hand to palm past Michael Savage.
The frustrated Vincent’s rushed the chances they did have and kicked seven wides in that first half. In particular, Bob Dwan was a standout for the southsiders as he shackled Diarmuid Connolly and held him scoreless.
Points from Gavin Burke and Ruairi Trainor, along with the first of Mossy Quinn’s six frees, momentarily narrowed the gap before Ryan Basquel sent Boden in seven points to the good.
Boden only scored 1-1 in the second half but it was enough. The decisive score came on 34 minutes when Conal Keaney was fouled by Michael Concarr and Kerin dispatched the penalty past Savage.
A Keaney point on 36 minutes opened up a 10-point margin, 2-8 to 0-4, and although it was to be Boden’s last score of the day, it was enough.
They played a dangerous game by inviting Vincent’s on to them and had Paul Durcan not got a hand to palm Trainor’s shot over, or had Shane Carthy’s effort flown underneath the crossbar, the finale might have been different.
Quinn gradually reeled Boden in with four more frees down the stretch, enough to give the Marino faithful hope of another famous win, but not enough to undo the damage done.
This was Boden’s day and deservedly so.
Scorers for Ballyboden: A Kerin 2-1 (1-0 pen, 1 f), R Basquel 0-3, C Basquel, D O’Reilly, A Waters, C Keaney 0-1 each.
Scorers for Vincent’s: T Quinn 0-6 (6f), R Trainor 0-2, G Burke, S Carthy 0-1 each.
Ballyboden St Enda’s
1. Paul Durcan
2. Bob Dwan
3. Stephen Hiney
4. Shane Clayton
5. Stephen O’Connor
6. Darragh Nelson
7. Darren O’Reilly
8. Michael Darragh Macauley
9. Declan O’Mahoney
27. Aran Waters
11. Ryan Basquel
12. Sean Gibbons
13. Colm Basquel
14. Conal Keaney
15. Andrew Kerin
Substitutions:
19. Donogh McCabe for O’Mahoney (34)
10. Daniel Davy for R Basquel (38)
20. Robbie McDaid for Gibbons (47)
21. David O’Callaghan for C Basquel (48)
17. Sam Molony for O’Reilly (51)
26. Shane Durkin for Waters (56)
St Vincent’s
1. Michael Savage
2. Michael Concarr
3. Jarlath Curley
4. Hugh Gill
5. Brendan Egan
6. Ger Brennan
7. Nathan Mullins
8. Daithi Murphy
9. Shane Carthy
10. Gavin Burke
11. Diarmuid Connolly
12. Cormac Diamond
13. Ruairi Trainor
14. Ciaran Dorney
15. Tomás Quinn
Substitutions:
21. Kevin Golden for D Murphy (inj, 23)
23. Joe Feeney for Dorney (26)
17. Cameron Diamond for Burke (38)
18. Craig Wilson for Egan (BC, 51)
