Ballymun Kickhams 1-17
St Brigid’s 1-9
Kevin O’Brien reports from Parnell Park
ON CURRENT FORM Ballymun Kickhams look primed for a serious assault on the Dublin senior football championship.
The 2012 champions progressed to the semi-finals after surviving a very shaky start against St Brigid’s in Parnell Park tonight.
Ballymun, who had 17 senior All-Ireland medals in their ranks between John Small, James McCarthy, Dean Rock and Philly McMahon, had a dreadful start and trailed by six early on.
They eventually settled and took control of the contest, winning comfortably by eight points after a very one-sided second period.
Ballymun, who were defeated in the All-Ireland club final in 2013, are bidding to reach their first final in four years after underperforming in recent times.
With Rock (0-9) and Paddy Small (1-6), brother of centre-back John, in scintillating form up front, they brushed aside the St Brigid’s challenge.
Footballer of the Year nominee James McCarthy cut through the St Brigid’s rearguard on a number of occasions and dominated the middle sector.
Ballymun played with a two-pronged full-forward line of Paddy Small and Eoin O’Neill, with the former in particularly good form. Small had 1-3 from play on the board by half-time, while centre-forward Dean Rock gave a solid display after his All-Ireland final heroics.
Despite wearing 15 on his back, Philly McMahon was employed as a spare defender on the Ballymun half-back line and they left three forwards up at all times with Rock often stationed on the edge of the D.
St Brigid’s raced out of the blocks in the opening seven minutes, flying into an 1-3 to no score lead to stun the favourites. The lively Lorcan McCarthy popped over three points with Philip Ryan bagging the three-pointer.
The Ballymun attack took its time to get warmed up. They trailed by 1-5 to 0-4 on 22 minutes, with just a point of that tally arriving from play.
Rock, predictably, kept the scoreboard moving from placed balls and then had a goal chance saved before Small took his point. Rock hand a major hand in Small’s goal right before half-time as Ballymun went in just one point in arrears, 1-6 to 1-7.
Four scores in a row arrived for Ballymun, including a wonderful effort by Rock under the main stand, to push them two in front. Andrews slalomed his way past three defenders and pointed but St Brigid’s wouldn’t score for the rest of the game.
Scorers for Ballymun: Dean Rock 0-9 (0-4f, 0-1 45), Paddy Small 1-6, James Burke 0-2.
Scorers for St Brigid’s: Lorcan McCarthy 0-5 (0-4f), Philip Ryan 1-0, Malachy Tighe and Paddy Andrews 0-2 each.
Ballymun Kickhams
1. Sean Currie
2. Colin Moore
4. Alan Hubbard
3. Eoin Dolan
5. Carl Keeley
6. John Small
7. James Burke
15. Philly McMahon
8. Aaron Elliot
9. James McCarthy
10. Jason Whelan
11. Dean Rock
12. Kevin Leahy
13. Eoin O’Neill
14. Paddy Small
Subs
16. Evan Comerford for Currie (ht)
21. Dillon Keating for Small (57)
23. Colm Hulton for Leahy (60)
St Brigid’s
1. Shane Supple
12. Alan McCarrick
6. Colin Lynch
5. Niall Davey
21. Malachy Tighe
18. Alan Daly
10. Gavin Kane
23. Mark Cahill
14. John O’Loughlin
4. Lorcan McCarthy
22. Fiach Andrews
19. Liam O’Donovan
17. Leon Young
8. Paddy Andrews
11. Philip Ryan
Subs
15. Jack Mullins for Leahy (14)
9. Cian Mullins for Davey (49)
20. Kevin Callaghan for Ryan (50)
2. Mark Donnelly for Tighe (52)
Referee: Sean McCarthy
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