Boden dig deep for victory

BALLYBODEN St Enda’s senior footballers had to dig deep to see off the challenge of Skerries Harps 1-12 to 0-11 in Division One in Sancta Maria on Sunday morning.

With injuries, emigration and Dublin commitments, numbers were tight for this first game of the new season.

Boden were on the score board after three minutes when Ciarán O’Reilly tested the Skerries goalie with a good shot and he diverted the ball over the bar.

Daire Sweeney added two points from frees before the visitors had to re-arrange their team after their goalie suffered an accidental injury and they eventually got off the mark on 12 minutes.

By the 22nd minute, the visitors were leading by a point, but Daire Sweeney levelled matters again with another free on 24 minutes.

Boden were then reduced to 14 players after a player was sent to the line and two further points were scored by Skerries to leave them two up at the interval.

Skerries extended their lead in the first minute of the second half and could have extended the lead further when they missed a good goal chance.

A Cathal Flaherty pointed effort hit the post, but Ciarán O’Reilly scored a good point on seven minutes.

After Skerries cancelled out this score a minute later, points by Daire Sweeney (free) and Darren O’Reilly, following a good catch by Conor Hanrahan, kept Boden in touch.

Skerries responded with another point mid-way through the 2nd half but then Boden hit a purple patch.

In the space of two minutes, Daire Sweeney hit a good point from play and then, when he received a good pass from Luke O’Donoghue, he showed great maturity by slotting the ball to the net to put Boden two points ahead.

Darren O’Reilly added another point and Ryan Basquel, who had come on as a substitute, scored two great points to put Boden further ahead but unfortunately Ryan had to retire with an injury a few minutes later.

The visitors were not giving up and hit the post when shooting for a goal and then hit the post again when shooting for a point.

Skerries scored two more points before the end, but Daire Sweeney cancelled out one of these with a long range free to leave Boden with two hard earned league points.