Boden into last four after seeing off Lucan
BALLYBODEN St Enda’s guaranteed themselves a place in the semi final of the Minor A Hurling Championship following their 1-16 to 1-20 victory over Lucan Sarsfields at the 12th Lock on Sunday.
The visitors were first out of the blocks thanks to a Luke McDwyer point, but that was cancelled out by Lucan’s Cian McHugh.
Three unanswered scores from Adam Kelleher and Pearse Christie gave Boden some breathing room, but again parity was restored when Andy Carroll struck to the net after winning a breaking ball around the square.
Both McHugh and Alan Murphy struck over the bar to see Sarsfields into the lead, but that was as close as they would come to taking this match as Boden hit five points without response, Kevin Desmond, Feargal Ryan and Ciaran O’Reilly among the scorers.
The two sides continued to trade points from there until the halftime whistle, by which point Boden had established a narrow two-point cushion, Malachy Codd playing his part with a sublime point when under severe pressure out on the left.
Boden added to that early in the second half by way of a Luke McDwyer point to which Ciaran Keane responded in kind before a Matt Dunne score reduced the gap to the minimum.
Yet, again Boden delivered as their opponents closed in, Desmond racing on to a breaking ball before pulling to the net.
Boden midfielder Pearse Christie hit two points before picking up a knock that forced him to retire, but substitute Eoin Behan was up to the challenge and also twice struck over the bar.
Lucan continued to push for a way back in with Lavin, Dunne and Keane chalking up more points but Boden did enough to remain out in front.
Ciaran McDonnell and Joe Maguire hurled well in the corners alongside the ever-solid Conor Lowe while, outside them the halfback line limited the Lucan supply.
Luke Mulligan Lynch came on for Ciaran O’Reilly and he joined Peter Gannon in a battling full forward line that helped close out the game.
At the other end Luke Finerty made a few excellent saves with the Boden keeper Jack Lambert also producing some fine stops from Dunne and Carroll.
This defeat means Lucan will have to be beat Oliver Plunketts on October 14 and hope Boden see off Cuala – with whom Sarsfields drew two weeks ago- if they are to ensure further progress to the championship semi-final.
Ballyboden, with two wins from two, will now be looking to top the table when they face off against Cuala.
TAGS Sport
