AIB Leinster Club SFC semi-final: Tullamore (Offaly) 0-10 Ballyboden St Enda’s (Dublin) 2-19
Ballyboden killed off Tullamore’s Leinster senior club football championship aspirations with a crushing first-half display to lead by 14 points at the turnaround in Tullamore.
Ballyboden, provincial champions in 2015 and 2019, will face Athy in the decider at Croke Park next Saturday after the Kildare champions beat Portarlington 0-19 to 0-11 in Saturday’s second semi-final in Newbridge.
Dublin clubs have dominated this competition in recent years – winning the last five titles – and not since 2017 has there been a Leinster club SFC final without a side from the capital involved.
And from the moment Colm Basquel slotted home a 22nd -minute penalty to push Ballyboden eight points ahead at a chilly O’Connor Park on Saturday afternoon, this semi-final was always veering towards an inevitable outcome.
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Ballyboden led 2-12 to 0-4 at half-time and though they had played with the benefit of a breeze in that opening period, it certainly wasn’t a 14-point wind.
Still, Tullamore did muster a gutsy stand at the start of the second half and scored six points on the bounce to reduce the gap to eight by the 47th minute. Midfielder Cillian Bourke, who will fly out to Australia on Sunday to start an AFL career, was influential during this positive spell for Tullamore.
Ballyboden goalkeeper Hugh O’Sullivan also had to pull off two decent saves during that period as the Firhouse men struggled to get out of their half.
But when they finally broke the siege, Daire Sweeney got on the end of a decent move and clipped over a right-footed point to break Tullamore’s spirit. That 48th-minute point was Ballyboden’s first shot on goal in the second half.
Tullamore didn’t score again, while Ballyboden added another six points to run out 15-point victors.
“Aspects to work on, I would say. We were happy with the first half, for sure,” said Ballyboden manager Eamon O’Reilly afterwards.
“For long portions of that first half we were on top and we transitioned the ball really well. Second half, I think there was a period at the start of the second half there that we will definitely learn a lot from.
“We knew coming down here, Tullamore are an excellent side, so we were very prepared for what they were going to bring, especially on their press and transition. But I think looking at that first 17, 18 minutes of the second half, I think we could definitely have done a lot better on that.
“So that’s disappointing that we didn’t get a better performance in that first 15 or 16 minutes of the second half. But again, we’re in a final.”
Tullamore actually started the contest quite well with scores from Niall Furlong and Harry Plunkett giving them a 0-2 to 0-1 lead after six minutes.
However, by the time the Offaly champions added their third score of the game in the 18th minute, Ballyboden had hit 1-4 without reply.
Tullamore, hoping to qualify for a maiden Leinster club SFC final appearance, were architects of their own downfall in many ways. All too often they carried the ball into contact, got turned over in dangerous situations or were guilty of overcarrying.
They struggled with their own kick-out as too many balls landed in the hands of unmarked Ballyboden players or boomeranged out over the sideline, gifting possession and impetus to the visitors.
The loss of centre back John Furlong to injury midway through the first half didn’t help matters for Tullamore either, but Ballyboden should also be commended for the ruthless efficiency they demonstrated in that first half.
They dominated the exchanges around the middle third where Céin D’Arcy and Patrick Dunleavy showed some fine high-fielding. Tullamore were penned in, unable to bypass a blue and white wall across the middle.
Ryan O’Dwyer was outstanding in attack, kicking five points from open play and winning the first-half penalty which was converted by Basquel.
Sweeney was also impressive up front for Ballyboden, while Ross McGarry scored what was a game-turning goal in the eighth minute to give them the lead for the first time, 1-1 to 0-2. They were never caught thereafter.
Ballyboden last contested a Leinster club decider in 2019. Next Saturday will be Athy’s first time at this stage of the competition.
“We’re through to the next round, and that’s fundamentally what we came down here to do,” added O’Reilly.
“Do a job, get ourselves in a position to be competing for a final the next day, which is where we are now. We’ve earned the right to get into a final, that’s all we’ve earned.”
TULLAMORE: Corey White; Ben Heffernan, Declan Hogan, Daire McDaid; Cormac Egan, John Furlong, Oisín Kennan-Martin; Cillian Bourke (0-0-2), Aaron Leavy; Diarmuid Egan, Michael Brazil, Niall Furlong (0-0-2); Luke Plunkett (0-0-1), Harry Plunkett (0-0-5, 5f), Mike Fox.
Subs: Luke Bourke for J Furlong (18 mins); Liam Dillane for Brazil (53); Shane Dooley for L Plunkett (63).
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: Hugh O’Sullivan; Brian Bobbett, Cathal Flaherty, Ryan Baynes; James Holland, Patrick Warren, Peter Healy; Céin D’Arcy (0-0-1), Alex Gavin; Patrick Dunleavy, Colm Basquel (1-0-0, pen), Ryan Basquel (0-0-3, 1f), Ryan O’Dwyer (0-0-5), Ross McGarry (1-0-1), Daire Sweeney (0-1-7, 3f).
Subs: Harry Donaghy for Gavin, Luke O’Donoghue for Dunleavy (both 36 mins); Callum O’Dwyer for C Basquel (53); Kieran Kennedy for Healy (56); Darren O’Reilly for R Basquel (59).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)..
