St Vincent’s 1-17
Ballyboden St-Enda’s 1-10
DIARMUID CONNOLLY PRODUCED yet another magical display to help reigning Dublin, Leinster and All-Ireland club champions St Vincent’s reach another county final this evening in Parnell Park.
The Dublin attacker shot 1-6, all from play, in a supreme showing that helped St Vincent’s see off Ballyboden St-Enda’s by seven points. Connolly gave an exhibition of playmaking and score taking as he displayed great marksmanship off both feet.
He whipped over five brilliant points in the opening period and then five minutes into the second-half, broke through for a cracking goal. Ger Brennan released Gavin Burke who surged upfield before laying off to Connolly and the centre-forward waved through before unleashing a sublime shot with his left to the net.
Connolly banged over another beautiful point before the finish and his contribution was a key difference in separating these teams. Mossy Quinn also chipped in with 0-4 for St Vincent’s while Shane Carthy, Eamon Fennell and sub Mark Loftus all helped ensure that the winners chalked up a healthy total.
Ballyboden, minuses their injured talisman Michael Darragh MacAuley, competed manfully throughout. They trailed 0-6 to 0-3 by the 25th minute mark but cut the gap to the minimum before the interval with good scores from Sam Moloney and Conal Keaney. Yet Connolly had the final say of the half with a closing point that left St Vincent’s ahead 0-8 to 0-6.
At a couple of stages during the second-half, Ballyboden pushed St Vincent’s hard. They trailed by 1-9 to 0-10 by the 46th minute and then when Conal Keaney planyed the ball in the net with eight minutes later, they were behind 1-12 to 1-10. But St Vincent’s finished the game in a powerful fashion, stitching five points together without reply.
Scorers for St Vincent’s
Diarmuid Connolly 1-6, Tomás Quinn 0-4 (0-3f), Shane Carthy, Mark Loftus, Eamon Fennel 0-2 each, Ruairi Trainor 0-1.
Scorers for Ballyboden St-Enda’s
Conal Keaney 1-1, Sam Molony, Andrew Kerin (0-3f) 0-3 each, Daniel Davy 0-2, Declan O’Mahoney 0-1.
ST VINCENT’S
1. Michael Savage
4. Hugh Gill
3. Jarlath Curley
2. Kevin Bonnie
5. Brendan Egan
6. Ger Brennan
7. Mick Concarr
8. Eamon Fennell
9. Daithi Murphy
10. Gavin Burke
11. Diarmuid Connolly
12. Shane Carthy
13. Ruairi Trainor
14. Ciaran Dorney
15. Tomás Quinn
Subs
17. Marty Moore for Bonnie (black card) (45)
21. Tiernan Diamond for Dorney (42)
22. Cormac Diamond for Burke (53)
20. Mark Loftus for Murphy (55)
23. Adam Baxter for Quinn (60)
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S
1. Daire Walsh
3. Robbie McDaid
23. Stephen Hiney
4. Stephen O’Connor
6. Bob Dwan
5. Darragh Nelson
7. Cathal Flaherty
8. Aran Waters
9. Declan O’Mahony
12. Sean Gibbons
18. Alan Flood
10. Darren O’Reilly
14. Conal Keaney
15. Andrew Kerin
11. Sam Molony
Subs
20. Mark O’Sullivan for Dwan (black card) (14)
17. Kenny Naughton for Flood (23)
19. Daniel Davy for O’Reilly (40)
Referee: Dave Feeney (Parnells)
