Ballyboden St Enda’s 4-6
Raheny 1-9
Fintan O’Toole reports from Parnell Park
LAST APRIL BALLYBODEN St Enda’s saw their season grind to a halt when they were knocked out of the Dublin senior football championship but this evening they availed of the new group stage format to reignite their campaign.
A greater clinical edge in front of goal proved pivotal to their six-point success over Raheny and even the 54th minute loss of Michael Darragh MacAuley when he was shown a second yellow card did not derail their challenge.
Ballyboden entered the game armed with the knowledge that a win was necessary after an opening loss to Kilmacud in Group 1 and their hopes of achieving that were bolstered by the three goals they knocked home in the first half.
Darren O’Reilly scrambled home the first in the 14th minute after Michael Darragh MacAuley made the hard yards, Ryan Basquel smashed home the second a couple of minutes later and Alan Flood unleashed a piledriver for the third goal in the 28th minute.
The fourth goal arrived early in the second half when Colm Basquel knocked it home and that provided a sufficient buffer on the scoreboard until the final whistle.
Raheny were six points adrift at the finish yet despite tasting defeat they battled and were combative until the end. They looked to Brian Fenton and Brian Howard frequently to supply the inspiration, and the Dublin senior duo did just that as they tried to piece together attacking moves.
Trailing 3-3 to 0-5 approaching half-time, Raheny plundered 1-1 late in the first half through an Eoin Keogh point and a goal from Aran Kelly as he palmed a long delivery home.
The concession of that fourth goal in the second half rocked Raheny and ultimately created a deficit that could not be bridged. The Basquel brothers, Colm and Ryan, kept the scoreboard ticking over as Ballyboden ran out victors.
Scorers for Ballyboden St Enda’s: Ryan Basquel 1-2, Alan Flood, Colm Basquel 1-1 each, Darren O’Reilly 1-0, Cathal Flaherty, James Madden 0-1 each.
Scorers for Raheny: Aran Kelly 1-1, Gavin Ivory 0-3 (0-2f, 0-1 ’45), Eoin Keogh 0-2, Sean McMahon, Brian Fenton, Sean Grenham (0-1f) 0-1 each.
Ballyboden St Enda’s
1. Conor Dooley
2. Cian Murray
3. Tom Hannifin
19. Kieran Kennedy
9. Aran Waters
6. Darragh Nelson
4. Cathal Flaherty
8. Michael Darragh MacAuley
25. Declan O’Mahony
15. Colm Basquel
11. Ryan Basquel
10. Darren O’Reilly
13. James Madden
14. Sam Molony
17. Alan Flood
Subs
24. James Holland for Waters (inj) (35)
18. Barra McGarry for Molony (48)
20. Sean Gibbons for O’Reilly (53)
Raheny
1. Ryan Bradshaw
4. Chris McElhinney
3. Sean Byrne
2. Rutherson Real
5. David Shatwell
6. Sean McMahon
7. Darren Byrne
8. Brian Fenton
9. Conor Talty
14. Eoin Keogh
11. Brian Howard
10. Michael Grenham
13. Aran Kelly
15. Simon Duignan
25. Gavin Ivory
Subs
18. Robert Diffley for Shatwell (28)
17. Sean McCarthy for McElhinney (inj) (half-time)
22. Sean Grenham for Keogh (48)
20. Ciaran Heapes for Michael Grenham (53)
19. Darragh Keogh for Kelly (55)
Referee: David O’Connor
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