DUBLIN SFC FINAL Ballyboden, St Enda's 2-12 St Jude's 1-13: HARD FACTS first. Ballyboden St Enda's ended a 14-year wait for a Dublin county title yesterday and will now face Wicklow champions Rathnew in the Leinster championship back in Parnell Park on November 8th.
They did it the hard way, eventually dethroning All-Ireland champions Kilmacud Crokes in extra-time, after a second replay, last Tuesday night. The Dublin county board had wriggle room but opted to throw them in against neighbours St Jude’s with just a paltry five-day turnaround.
Just enough time for ice baths and stretching those aching limbs.
The obvious difference between yesterday’s opponents and Crokes was the space afforded to a full forward line, which collectively yielded 2-10 of their team’s total.
St Jude’s corner backs bravely soldiered on but lacked the required armoury to contain big Kenny Naughton, Conal Keaney – by head and shoulders the best player on view – and the man of the match Andrew Kerin, who finished with 2-5.
“This last three weeks have been a bit of a roller-coaster,” said Ballyboden manager Liam O’Dwyer. “You know, to play Crokes three times in 14 days and then be asked to play a county final (five days later) was some ask for my team.
“We pride ourselves on three -second football which is basically move the ball quick at midfield and get it in to the three lads. That is sometimes easier said than done but today it worked a treat.
“Had they got the goal at the end I would have said it was tired legs that has taken the title from us but when we look back on it now we will say it was our resilience over the last three weeks that took us to the title.”
Kerin’s finishing ability ultimately settled matters with St Jude’s defensive deficiencies ensuring the lighting fast pace they adopted to play the game was never going to be enough to catch even worn-down opponents.
St Jude’s started the brightest with former, and on this evidence future, Dublin panellist Brendan McManamon a crucial cog in most attacks. This guy can run through brick walls.
Ballyboden’s only response to three early points was from Keaney. Conor McBride wrongly believed it was enough to shadow the Dublin forward but allowing him to turn and solo usually means the former hurler will engineer enough room to shoot.
Ballyboden captain, and another Dublin fringe player, Declan O’Mahony provided the pass for Kerin to neatly take his first goal on six minutes and it was the beginning of their purple patch. Four points followed as full forward Naughton also grew into the match before Declan Donnelly reduced arrears with a typically classy St Jude’s point.
But their defence continued to slack, providing more room for Kerin and Keaney to take aim, while Donnelly side-footed against the upright down the other end.
The engrossing football duels boiled over just long enough for McManamon to hurl himself into Keaney but the Dublin regular kept his cool.
Next the brother, Kevin McManamon, got a sight of goal but Ballyboden goalkeeper Dáire Walsh was equal to the task. The save secured a four-point lead at the interval.
That was quickly reduced to two by Kevin McManamon and Joey Donnelly only for Kerin and Keaney to respond once more with scores that led into, what seemed, the killer second goal from Kerin. The defence went fishing again but the finish was calmness personified. Seven-point game.
Much like Dublin had begun 2009 with hopes (now utterly extinguished) of ending their All-Ireland famine that also dates back to 1995, Ballyboden could close their eyes and see the promised land.
Such daydreaming, and those understandably heavy legs, provided St Judes’s with enough space to orchestrate an unlikely comeback. After an earlier miss when Kevin McManamon’s fisted effort hit the crossbar, Michael Lyons bundled in their goal on 56 minutes. From the stand it looked like he dropped it into the net. Still, the green flag went up.
Kerin punched his men back into a three-point lead, reduced to two by Paul Cunningham but that was all St Jude’s could eat into a lead that Ballyboden had worked too damn hard to surrender.
In a depressing time for Dublin GAA what can be gleaned on a big picture front? Dara Nelson and Michael MacAuley deserve further examination while Brendan McManamon may have earned another chance. Really though the quantity of quality coming from Kerry and Tyrone remains thin on the ground in the capital.
And a hard winter is blowing in.
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S: D Walsh; C Dolan, I Clarke, M O'Sullivan; D Nelson, J O'Hara, S Durkin; M MacAuley , D O'Mahony; S Lambert, D Davey (0-2), C Smyth; C Keaney (0-3), K Naughton (0-2), A Kerin (2-5, one free). Subs: P Galvin for D Davey (41 mins), D Shovlin for S Lambert (49 mins), P O'Brien for M O'Sullivan (54 mins), C Hiney for M MacAuley (60 mins).
ST JUDE'S: P Copeland; C McBride, S Breheny, C Guckian; P Cunningham (0-1), N O'Shea, S Ryan (0-1); C Murphy, A Glover (0-1); R O'Brien, B McManamon (0-2, one free), B Monaghan (0-2); J Donnelly (0-2, frees), D Donnelly (0-1), K McManamon (0-2, one free). Subs: R Joyce for R O'Brien (25 mins), S Gallagher (0-1)for D Donnelly (34 mins), M Lyons (1-0)for B Monaghan (46 mins), C Voyles for B McManamon (54 mins).
Referee: B O'Shea(St Mark's).
