Ballyboden St Enda’s 2-25
Clonkill 2-19
Paul Keane reports from Parnell Park
BALLYBODEN ST-ENDA’S prevailed at the end of a tense and emotional evening at Parnell Park to take their place, as expected, in the semi-finals of the AIB Leinster club SHC.
Yet the manner of the win which was achieved after extra-time was anything but routine as Paul Ryan’s 0-15 haul ultimately tipped the balance in the Dubliners’ favour.
Substitute Paul Doherty hit a crucial 1-2 in the extra period also as Joe Fortune’s side progressed through to a semi-final clash with Coolderry of Offaly on Sunday week.
Progress, victory and defeat all seemed like irrelevant issues at the end of a desperately sad day for the Clonkill club which remains shrouded in grief.
The funeral of Annabel Loughlin, the young daughter of club stalwart and former Westmeath player Enda Loughlin, took place hours before the game and, in the circumstances, it was a remarkable display of character from the Westmeath side.
Brendan Murtagh hit 11 points for Clonkill and sent the game to extra-time with the point that levelled it at 1-17 apiece. Luke Loughlin, a relative of Enda Loughlin, also weighed in with 1-2 while Eoin Price had a strong game and contributed 0-4.
They started the bright in normal time and surged 0-6 to 0-2 clear though Niall Ryan’s goal for Ballyboden shortly before half-time left the hosts 1-9 to 0-10 ahead.
They were back level at 1-11 apiece when Luke Loughlin netted in the 43rd minute and were tied on five occasions throughout the second-half.
Clonkill briefly led early in extra-time but four points in a row from Ballyboden, two each from Paul Ryan and Doherty, gave the south Dublin side a vital cushion.
Joe Fortune’s side maintained their momentum in the second-half of extra-time and moved six points clear before Niall Mitchell pulled back a late goal for Clonkill.
There was to be no fairytale ending though as Doherty exploited space in the Clonkill defence in the 82nd minute to hit ‘Boden’s second goal, sealing a memorable six-point win.
Scorers for Ballyboden St-Enda’s: Paul Ryan 0-15 (0-12f, 0-3 ’65), Paul Doherty 1-2, Niall Ryan 1-1, Conal Keaney, Aidan Mellett 0-2 each, Niall McMorrow, James Roche, Stephen O’Connor 0-1 each.
Scorers for Clonkill: Brendan Murtagh 0-11 (0-7f), Luke Loughlin 1-2, Eoin Price 0-4, Niall Mitchell 1-0, Mark Keegan, Anthony Price 0-1 each.
Ballyboden St Enda’s
16. Conor O’Donoghue
7. Dean Curran
3. Luke Corcoran
2. James Madden
4. Shane Durkin
6. Simon Lambert
18. David O’Connor
5. Stephen O’Connor
8. Finn McGarry
10. Conal Keaney
14. Conor Dooley
9. Niall Ryan
17. Aidan Mellett
12. Conor McCormack
13. Paul Ryan
Subs:
C Basquel for McCormack 44, P Doherty for Dooley 52, N McMorrow for McGarry 52, J Roche for N Ryan 62, N Ryan for Basquel 70+1, M Travers for Lambert 81, C O’Neill for S O’Connor 81.
Clonkill
1. Andrew Mitchell
2. Darragh Egerton
3. John Kenny
4. Mikey McGrath
5. Alan McGrath
6. Paddy Dowdall
7. Luke Folan
8. Shane Power
9. Christopher Austin
12. Luke Loughlin
11. Mark Keegan
15. Alan Dowdall
10. Anthony Price
13. Eoin Price
14. Brendan Murtagh (c)
Subs:
N Mitchell for L Folan 9, J Smyth for A Dowdall 44. A Dowdall for A Price e/t, J O’Brien for Power 74, J Fagan for McGrath 75.
Referee: David Hughes (Carlow).
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