Ballyboden face replay after letting slip nine-point lead

DUBLIN SHC SEMI-FINALS/Ballyboden St Enda's 1-16 O'Tooles 2-13:BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S supporters will be making another trip over to Donnycarney next Wednesday night after a late Michael Carton point earned O'Tooles a replay in yesterday's Dublin senior hurling championship semi-final at Parnell Park.

Fixture congestion was certainly on the agenda after the game for Ballyboden manager, Liam Hogan, who again criticised the county board over the running of the championship. "It would be nice to play these games on crisp September evenings but every year it's the same conditions of wind, rain and muck which is leading to long-term injuries.

"I don't know what the GPA has to say about it but I think its time that something was done about it."

Hogan certainly seems to have a point given the weekend weather but privately he will be wondering how his team managed to surrender a nine-point lead early in the second half.

With the aid of a strong breeze they had opened up an early three-point lead before O'Tooles introduced Graham Morris after 15 minutes. The big forward certainly put himself about and it was after his second point which put O'Tooles ahead by 0-5 to 0-4 that Hogan became involved in a verbal exchange with referee Dave O'Donovan leading to his dismissal after 18 minutes.

But moments later, St Enda's found the back of the net when the prolific Paul Ryan offloaded to Dave Sweeney who duly drove low into the goalkeeper's far corner. And although Kevin Flynn pointed at the other end for the Ayrfield men, four unanswered points from Ballyboden left them ahead 1-9 to 0-5 at the break.

Ryan began the second half with two frees but O'Tooles then made their mark on the game when Graham Morris kicked past Dublin goalkeeper Gary Maguire on 33 minutes.

Buoyed on by this, O'Tooles added further scores from former Dublin under-21 Peadar Carton (2), Morris and Derek Farrelly.

And with 10 minutes remaining, Flynn sent over a free with Andrew Morris then miscuing with the Ballyboden goal at his mercy.

Reminded of the precariousness of their lead, Ballyboden surged ahead once more with scores from Sweeney, David Curtin and Lambert putting them five points up with 10 minutes left.

But following a Kevin Flynn score, O'Tooles goalkeeper Brendan McLoughlin then found the back of the net off a short distance free on 56 minutes with Michael Carton then driving over the equalising point from just inside the Ballyboden half.

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S: G Maguire; J Duffy, S Perkin, M O'Sullivan; M Travers, D Spain, T Sweeney; S Durkin (0-1), S Lambert (0-1); D O'Connor, D Curtin (0-2), D Sweeney (1-3); N McMorrow (0-2), C Keaney, P Ryan (0-7, six frees). Subs: J Doody for D O'Connor 40 mins, M Griffin for Ryan 56 mins.

O'TOOLES: B McLoughlin (1-0, free); P Brennan, K Ryan, C Mulligan; Patrick Carton, M Carton (0-1), D Webster; C White, G O'Mara; D Farrelly (0-1), M Cunningham (0-1), A Morris (0-1); L Ryan, K Flynn (0-4, two frees), Peadar Carton (0-2). Subs: G Morris (1-3) for K Ryan 15 mins, R Walker for White 59 mins, L O'Donoghue for L Ryan 44 mins, P Donoghue for Cunningham 55 mins , Referee: D O'Donovan (St Marks).