AFL DIV. 2 ROUNDUP – 13TH JUNE

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO ROUND-UP: JUNE 13

By Daire Walsh

Round Tower Clondalkin moved to the summit of the Adult Football League Division Two table with a hard-earned success over Scoil Ui Chonaill at Clontarf Road on Wednesday evening.

While Templeogue Synge Street and Skerries Harps had led the chasing pack prior to the night’s proceedings, their respective reversals allowed Towers to leap-frog them into first position. Templeogue were on the receiving end of a five-point defeat (0-15 to 1-7) to Naomh Mearnog at Portmarnock, whereas Skerries Harps lost out to St Anne’s (2-9 to 0-13) in a tricky home assignment.

Mearnog now join TSS and Skerries on 10 points, just behind the in-form Towers. After a difficult start to the season – which saw them follow up an opening round stalemate against Na Fianna with a defeat to Mearnog – the Clondalkin men recorded four wins on the bounce.

With both teams short a number of first-team regulars, it was little surprise that the sides were hard to separate in the early exchanges. However, in a blistering end to the opening period, Towers gave themselves a commanding nine-point interval cushion.

Ian Ward (who featured heavily for Dublin at underage level), Darren Gilligan and Mick Hallows all found the net for the visitors, for whom Conor L’Estrange was a key performer throughout. Though they appeared to have the measure of their opponents for large stretches, a final-quarter scoring blitz moved Scoil back into the reckoning.

Towers maintained their composure in the closing moments, though, and eventually eked out a 3-12 to 1-14 victory. Supplementing fine scoring contributions by L’Estrange, Micheál Walsh and Conor Flannery, full-back Tom Lyons (nephew of Keith Barr) brilliantly converted three ’45’s to keep their northside counterparts at bay.

They are back in action at Monastery Road on Wednesday week (June 27) against Fingallians – who claimed a comprehensive 1-14 to 0-2 win at home to Raheny. They are now just two points behind the league leaders, in what is proving to be a hectic and tense second-tier campaign.

Meanwhile, Ballyboughal recorded their fourth triumph of 2018 in a home encounter with St Mary’s, Saggart. Playing with the aid of a strong breeze, the hosts were driven forward in the opening moments by the powerful midfield pairing of Cathal Flynn and Richie Downey.

John Harney and Niall McElligott also delivered strong defensive performances, but a brace of well-timed goals meant that Mary’s entered the break on level terms with Ballyboughal. Although the wind was not as strong after the restart, the home team adopted a running game from the third-quarter onwards.

This paid dividends for Ballyboughal, with Ciaran Wynne, Gerry Seaver and John Rodgers all rattling the Mary’s net in the second half. A game Mary’s persevered with their challenge, only to ultimately fall to a 3-8 to 3-14 reversal.

Whitehall Colmcille bounced back from a recent defeat to Fingallians with an emphatic display against Na Fianna ‘B’ at Collins Avenue. Despite being without the considerable talents of multiple All-Ireland winner Cormac Costello, Whitehall possessed enough fire power to secure the spoils on a scoreline of 6-11 to 2-11.

Thanks to impressive three-pointers courtesy of Peter Corry, Eoghan O’Donnell and Kevin O’Donohue, Whitehall were eight in front (3-6 to 0-7) on the half-hour mark. Their dominance continued after the break, with John Bridgeman and Sean Ryan offering strong attacking outlets.

Corry added his second goal of the game, while O’Donohue completed his hat-trick with a brace of fine finishes. Na Fianna subsequently replied with a two-goal salvo, but it was never going to be enough to stem the flow of the Whitehall attack.

Clontarf remained in promotion contention with a 3-18 to 4-10 win over Fingal Ravens at St Anne’s Park and it was also a productive night for St Patrick’s, Palmerstown in an away clash with basement side O’Toole’s – 1-14 to 1-11 the final score at Blunden Drive, in favour of the Glenauline Park men.

AFL DIV. 1 ROUNDUP – 13TH JUNE

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP: JUNE 13

By Daire Walsh

Kilmacud Crokes closed the gap on Adult Football League Division One leaders St Vincent’s with an emphatic 4-12 to 2-5 victory over Naomh Maur at Silver Park last night.

After the previously unbeaten Vins came up short in an away fixture against Ballyboden St Enda’s (0-15 to 1-10) at Pairc Ui Murchu, the Stillorgan men are now just one point adrift of the divisional pace-setters.

The defending champions – jointly-managed this year by Robbie Brennan and former county star Johnny Magee – entered this contest on the back of last week’s comprehensive win at the expense of neighbours Naomh Olaf.

They encountered a stubborn resistance from Maur’s (the team they defeated in the 2017 league decider) in the early stages of the contest, before eventually assuming control on their home turf.

In addition to the notable absence of several inter-county players (both senior and U20), Crokes also fielded without the services of Conor Casey, Ross O’Carroll and Mark Vaughan. Yet, with Dara Mullen contributing a brace of goals, the home team brought a comfortable 2-7 to 0-3 lead into the interval.

During a dominant second half display, former Longford attacker Brian Kavanagh kept the scoreboard ticking over for Crokes. Craig Dias also impressed for the southsiders, while a goal apiece from Shane Cunningham and Shane Horan ensured Maur’s were kept firmly at arm’s length.

The Rush outfit did have their moments in the second period, but a fifth reversal in seven means they are now rooted to the foot of the top-flight table.

Local rivals St Brigid’s and Castleknock, who had trailed Maur’s at the end of round six, got their campaigns back on track with respective triumphs over Ballinteer St John’s (2-7 to 1-8) and Cuala (2-10 to 3-4).

Brigid’s had opened their season’s account in fine style against Lucan Sarsfields on May 23, before suffering a narrow reversal – 0-11 to 0-9 – to Vincent’s six days later. Thanks to Collie Carr’s third-minute goal, as well as points from Lorcan McCarthy and Mark Cahill, Brigid’s held a 1-4 to 0-4 buffer over John’s at the midway stage.

This meant they were in the driving seat on the resumption, and they significantly enhanced their lead courtesy of a Lorcan McCarthy major. Although Ballinteer kept themselves in contention in a low-scoring affair, the outstanding half-back line of Sean Egan, Daire Plunkett and Paddy Maguire guided Brigid’s towards another morale-boosting win.

Elsewhere, Ballymun Kickhams defeated Lucan Sarsfields on a scoreline of 2-11 to 1-6 to climb up to sixth place in the table. Thomas Davis were another side to lift themselves away from the bottom end of the table – they had 10 points to spare (1-13 to 0-6) against St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh at Kiltipper Road.

Following a run of four straight losses, St Jude’s returned to winning ways at home to St Sylvester’s – 3-15 to 2-9 at Tymon North.

AFL DIV. 1 MATCH REPORT: NA FIANNA V ST. OLAFS

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

NA FIANNA 4-15

NAOMH OLAF 1-11

By Daire Walsh

Sean Caffrey and Alistair Fitzgerald were in fine scoring form yesterday evening at St Mobhi Road, where Na Fianna extended their winning run in Division One of the Adult Football League.

Following previous successes over Thomas Davis, the high-flying Kilmacud Crokes and St Brigid’s, the Glasnevin men were hopeful that another accomplished display would help them to break into the top-four.

The newly-promoted Olaf’s had already put Brigid’s, St Jude’s and Ballymun Kickhams to the sword, and had kept themselves in the reckoning with some excellent second-quarter scores. However, a blistering end to the opening half propelled Na Fianna into the driving seat and they ultimately claimed their fourth victory on the bounce in ruthless style.

Inside the opening minute of the action, the impressive Caffrey split the posts to give Na Fianna a slender cushion. Eager to make amends for a comprehensive home reversal to neighbours Kilmacud last week, Olaf’s got back on level terms in swift fashion.

A long-distance effort by midfielder Darren O’Neill carried over the bar and the same player quickly added a second point for the visitors. They breathed a sigh of relief in the fifth-minute when Fitzgerald blasted past the right-hand post, though, and Brendan Redmond was subsequently beaten at the end of a subsequent attack.

After he was picked out in front of goal by a precise Eoin Connolly pass, Niall Cooper rolled the ball to the net. This three-pointer offered Na Fianna some leeway on their home patch, though O’Neill continued to drive Olaf’s forward at every available opportunity.

Yet, with Cooper providing effective defensive cover, they fell further behind to their northside counterparts. The reliable place-kicking of Caffrey and Deegan (two) allowed Na Fianna to open up a five-point lead (1-4 to 0-2) on 18 minutes, presenting Olaf’s with an early mountain to climb.

The Sandyford outfit stuck admirably to their task, with back-to-back points from Glenn Soraghan and O’Neill (his third) helping to re-build their confidence. An injury to the lively David Quinn disrupted the rhythm of the Na Fianna forward line, and while Olaf’s were also forced to replace Niall Manning, they cut the gap to the bare minimum on the half-hour mark.

Adding to an Eoin O’Mahony free, O’Neill registered his fourth point via excellent approach work by centre-field partner Conor Haskins. It was during the four minutes of stoppage-time that Na Fianna truly found their feet, however.

A long-delivery into the square was intended for Fitzgerald, and the towering full-forward fisted beyond the reach of the advanced Redmond. Soraghan responded at the opposite end, only for JJ Martin to release Fitzgerald for a simple palmed finish at close-range.

As a result, Na Fianna brought a commanding 3-4 to 0-7 buffer into the break. Olaf’s introduced Brian Begley on the resumption in a bid to re-ignite their challenge and he was later joined by the experienced Derek O’Flaherty.

This couldn’t halt the momentum that Na Fianna carried forward from the end of the first half, as the home side hit six points without reply to give themselves an unassailable advantage. Supplementing superb contributions from Caffrey and Deegan, Thomas Connell brilliantly sold a dummy to his marker before splitting the uprights on 38 minutes. Caffrey was beginning to play with supreme authority, and his 0-3 salvo ensured Na Fianna were well on their way to another triumph by the three-quarter mark.

Kieran Hanley finally broke this scoring chain with a fine point at the end of an intricate move and O’Flaherty also converted a placed-ball at a right-hand angle. Na Fianna did receive a minor let-off after 51 minutes, when a Shane Whyte strike smashed off the underside of the crossbar.

This may well have offered Olaf’s a late lifeline, but instead Na Fianna struck for their fourth (and final) goal of the contest. Substitute Cathal Doran was searching for his second point in the space of 60 seconds when he picked up possession inside the opposition ’45’.

Although his shot dropped short of the target, Redmond was only able to divert the ball into the path of the waiting Caffrey. He flicked to the net with minimal fuss, bringing his personal tally up to 1-6 on the night.

Unanswered scores courtesy of Deegan (two) and Fitzgerald further embellished Na Fianna’s haul, until a foul on Fiachra O’Sullivan led to an Olaf’s penalty on the hour. O’Flaherty dispatched the spot-kick past netminder Sam Bruton and added a brace of pointed frees to add a fairer reflection on the scoreboard.

Doran also managed to secure his second point deep into time added on, bringing the curtain down on a powerful performance by the hosts.

Scorers – Na Fianna: Sean Caffrey 1-6 (0-3f), Alistair Fitzgerald 2-1, Michael Deegan 0-5 (3f), Niall Cooper 1-0, Cathal Doran 0-2, Thomas Connell 0-1. Naomh Olaf:Derek O’Flaherty 1-3 (1-0 pen, 0-3f), Darren O’Neill 0-4 (1f), Glenn Soraghan 0-2, Eoin O’Mahony (f), Kieran Hanley 0-1 each.

NA FIANNA: Sam Bruton; Senan Coughlan, John Kelly, James Higgins; Eoin Connolly, Niall McGovern, Gus Farrell; JJ Martin, Niall Cooper; Thomas Connell, Michael Deegan, Colin Ryan; David Quinn, Alistair Fitzgerald, Sean Caffrey. Subs: John Foley for Quinn (24), Cathal Doran for Foley (42), Adam Baxter for Higgins (46), Killian Deeley for Ryan (50), Shane O’Leary for Martin (56).

NAOMH OLAF: Brendan Redmond; Gary Wilkins, Tim O’Donovan, Paul Hays; Ronan Watters, Colin Doyle, Ryan Cafferky; Darren O’Neill, Conor Haskins; Niall Manning, Eoin O’Mahony, Darragh Byrne; Kieran Hanley, Glenn Soraghan, Shane Whyte. Subs: Fiachra O’Sullivan for Manning (22), Brian Begley for Byrne (half-time), Derek O’Flaherty for O’Mahony (38), Alan Kirwin for Cafferky (56).

Referee: Gary McCormack (Naomh Mearnog).

SALLE TURN ON THE STYLE

Ballyfermot produce strong second half to see of Howth men

BALLYFERMOT DLS…………………………..2-16

BEANN EADAIR………………………………..1-11

Daire Walsh

BALLYFERMOT DLS executed an impressive second-half turnaround to secure the spoils in a top-of-the-table Adult Football League Division Nine clash with Beann Eadair at The Gaels last Thursday.

Trailing by four points at half-time (0-7 to 0-3), Ballyermot comprehensively outscored their opponents on the resumption to maintain their unbeaten start to 2018. From the opening five rounds of the league, Ballyfermot and their Howth counterparts had both accrued maximum points.

On a humid night at the Gurteen Road venue, Bens centre-back Alan Collins broke forward to kick the opening score of the contest. Ballyfermot immediately responded through Jackie Gaire, before Bens created daylight with a series of unanswered points.

A successful Shaun Hanway free edged the visitors back in front, and he was joined on the scoresheet by the inside duo of Breándán Ó Callarán and Brendan Fitzpatrick. Gaire saw his second effort on goal drifting over the crossbar, but Bens continued to play with greater authority.

After Brendan Fitzpatrick picked him out on the right wing, midfielder Ronan O’Leary superbly curled a right-footed shot between the posts. A 14-minute barren spell in attack offered Ballyfermot a potential pathway back into contention, and Mark Smith eventually opened his account – thanks in no small part to the hard-work of Anthony Chubb.

John Fitzpatrick had replaced injured Bens wing-forward Adam McCarthy on 20 minutes, and it was his precise crossfield pass that presented Ó Callarán with the time and space to register his second point of the half. A wayward Ballyfermot kick-out inadvertently led to another Hanway single, ensuring that Beann Eadair were in a commanding position at the midway stage of the action.

Yet, Ballyfermot emerged for the second period as a rejuvenated force and got themselves on level terms courtesy of a six-minute scoring blitz. Alongside a Smith brace, centre-fielder Keith O’Shea and Shane Doyle also raised white flags for the southside outfit.

Half-time substitute Richard Mann was making a sizeable impact, and he was soon joined on the field by Ryan Casserly. Indeed, it was a neat lay-off by the latter that allowed Mann to edge his side ahead for the very first time.

Another O’Shea contribution offered them a two-point lead in the 39th minute, with all the momentum now pulling in their direction. However, following a fine point from play by full-forward Cian Kellett, Bens struck for the opening goal of the evening.

ATTACK

A sweeping attack was worked at pace towards Galway native Ó Callarán, who shot beyond the reach of Liam Kavanagh at a tight angle. This raised the possibility of a sixth straight victory for Bens, but the response from Ballyfermot was once again emphatic.

Either side of a sweet O’Shea effort, another second-half replacement – Dylan Nolan – claimed a two-point salvo for the home team. Brendan Fitzpatrick appeared to set the game up for a grandstand finale with an equalising score, only for Ballyfermot to kill off their committed challenge.

Hot on the heels of a third Nolan score, Smith flicked an O’Shea delivery to the net. The excellent Ballyfermot attacker then turned provider for a Mann three-pointer – which preceded additional points for Smith and James Bracken.

Nolan brought his personal tally up to 0-4, and even though Brendan Fitzpatrick and Hanway found the range for Beann Eadair, they finished second best to the outstanding Ballyfermot DLS.

MATCH FILE

Scorers – Ballyfermot DLS: M Smith 1-4 (0-1f), D Nolan 0-4 (2f, 1 ’45’), R Mann 1-1, K O’Shea 0-3 (2f), J Gaire 0-2, J Bracken (f), S Doyle 0-1 each. Beann Eadair: B Ó Callarán 1-2, S Hanway 0-3 (1f), B Fitzpatrick 0-3 (1f), A Collins, R O’Leary, C Kellett 0-1 each.

BALLYFERMOT DLS: L Kavanagh; K Murphy, G Blackburn, D Grehan; A O’Callaghan, G Callaghan, J Bracken; G Monaghan, F McConnell; S Doyle, K O’Shea, A Chubb; M Smith, S Cashin, J Gaire.

Subs: R Mann for Cashin (h-t), R Casserly for Chubb (35), D Nolan for Gaire (44).

BEANN EADAIR: B McGinley; J Morton, D Higgins, A Conway; J McGatty, A Collins, C Dunne; R O’Leary, J O’Neill; C Caulfield, S Hanway, A McCarthy; B Fitzpatrick, C Kellett, B Ó Callarán.

Subs: J Fitzpatrick for McCarthy (20), E Moore for Dunne (54), J Gibbon for J Fitzpatrick (55), P Borel for McGatty (61).

MENTORS – Ballyfermot DLS: Paul O’Brien, John McBride. Beann Eadair: Martin McGhee, David Caulfield, Paul Coyne.

Referee: Aaron Byrne (Robert Emmet’s).

WIDES – Ballyfermot DLS: 10 (4+6). Beann Eadair: 6 (5+1).

CONDITIONS: Dry and sunny conditions throughout, with only a slight breeze.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Mark Smith (Ballyfermot DLS).

AFL DIV. 2 ROUNDUP – 6TH JUNE

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO ROUND-UP: JUNE 6

By Daire Walsh

Templeogue Synge Street produced an outstanding display of attacking football at Dolphin Park on Wednesday to move to the summit of the AFL Division Two table.

Following earlier draws against Whitehall Colmcille and Na Fianna ‘B’, Templeogue trailed Skerries Harps by two points prior to the evening’s proceedings.

However, after Skerries fell to a 2-7 to 1-14 reversal away to Round Tower Clondalkin, their southside counterparts are now ahead of them on score difference.

Although Templeogue lined up without star forward Eoghan O’Gara – 2017 All-Ireland medallist Niall Scully was also absent – his young brother Killian delivered a magnificent performance for the hosts.

With a final haul of 1-10, the impressive O’Gara – who featured for the Sky Blues during this year’s O’Byrne Cup campaign – ensured that Ballyboughal were kept at a safe distance from the opening stages of the contest.

After a glittering inter-county career that saw him picking five Celtic Crosses, Denis Bastick continues to play a prominent role in this Templeogue side. He contributed a 1-1 salvo on the night – a scoring total that was matched by the hard-working Olly Barrett in a dominant showing by the home team.

1-2 apiece from Ger Vickery and Cathal Morley also boosted the TSS tally, and despite the best efforts of Ballyboughal – who have three league wins under their belt in 2018 – they remained in control until the closing moments of the play.

The lively Luke O’Brien also posted 1-3 for the rampant Templeogue, who ultimately claimed a 6-20 to 1-6 triumph at the end of a one-sided affair. They are now the only unbeaten team in the second-tier, as a result of Skerries’ aforementioned loss to Round Towers.

Five wins on the bounce marked Harps out as the division’s in-form team, but they came unstuck at Monastery Road. Towers are now just one point adrift of both Templeogue and Skerries – with nine rounds of fixtures still to play.

Clontarf and Naomh Mearnog began the day in fourth and fifth respectively, but their contrasting fortunes on the field of play saw them swapping positions in the league table.

While ‘Tarf (who were once again able to call on the services of Jack McCaffrey) succumbed to a 1-9 to 0-10 defeat against St Patrick’s, Palmerstown at Glenauline Park, Naomh Mearnog enjoyed a 4-13 to 1-11 win over Fingal Ravens in Rolestown.

In a nail-biting encounter at Saggart, Na Fianna ‘B’ overcame the challenge of St Mary’s by the slenderest of margins (1-11 to 0-13). Raheny edged out local rivals Scoil Ui Chonaill at St Anne’s Park – 0-15 to 0-12 – and Fingallians recorded an impressive 3-8 to 1-8 home triumph against Whitehall Colmcille.

Meanwhile, in a bottom of the table clash, St Anne’s had seven points to spare (2-11 to 1-7) over O’Toole’s – who are still searching for their maiden win in this year’s league.

AFL DIV. 1 ROUNDUP – 6TH JUNE

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE ROUND-UP: JUNE 6

By Daire Walsh

Kilmacud Crokes moved up to second place in the Adult Football League Division One table with a comprehensive 3-19 to 1-9 victory over neighbours Naomh Olaf at Pairc Ui Bhriain on Wednesday night.

While they still trail table-toppers St Vincent’s – who narrowly defeated St Brigid’s last Tuesday week to maintain their 100% record in the competition – by three points, the defending champions are keeping themselves in the hunt for top honours.

Following their recent reversal to Na Fianna at Silver Park, the Stillorgan men (jointly-managed by Johnny Magee and Robbie Brennan) were seeking a return to winning ways in round six of the league. They faced an Olaf’s side that had secured back-to-back triumphs against St Jude’s and Ballymun Kickhams in their previous encounters – to go alongside an earlier success over St Brigid’s.

Despite being without the likes of Paul Mannion and Cian O’Sullivan for the short journey to Sandyford, there was a nice blend of youth and experience to the Crokes line-up. When Dublin last faced Longford in the Leinster Senior Football Championship in 2015, Brian Kavanagh kicked five points for the latter.

While he won’t be featuring for the O’Farrell county against the Sky Blues this weekend, he played a prominent role for Crokes in their latest competitive outing. With 0-7 to his name over the course of the hour, Kavanagh finished the game as scorer-in-chief.

However, with Mark Vaughan, Callum Pearson and Dara Mullen all contributing three points apiece, Crokes had a strong spread of scorers on the night. In addition to Shane Cunningham’s two-goal salvo, Conor Casey also rattled the back of the Olaf’s net in a commanding win for the holders.

They have now leap-frogged Ballyboden St Enda’s in the top-tier table, after they suffered an agonising 2-17 to 1-19 reversal at the hands of Lucan Sarsfields at 12th Lock. ‘Boden were well on course for a fifth league victory of 2018 when they led 1-9 to 0-8 at the midway point in the contest.

Yet, thanks to a well-worked goal from Brendan Gallagher on the resumption, Lucan brought themselves back into the reckoning. Sean Newcombe subsequently added an equalising point, before the decisive score of the game also fell the way of Sarsfields.

Excellent approach work by Paul Casey set-up an opportunity for his former inter-county team-mate Stephen O’Shaughnessy – who coolly slotted home to provide Lucan with a two-point cushion (2-11 to 1-12).

‘Boden remained in contention during a nail-biting conclusion to the action, but the home team prevailed in the end.

Elsewhere, Ballymun Kickhams recovered from a six-point interval deficit to claim a morale-boosting victory against Naomh Maur at Rush. With Conor McGuinness, Ciaran Archer and Chris Carthy in flying form, Maur’s led 2-7 to 1-4 at the break.

‘Mun kicked into gear after the restart, though – a powerful scoring blitz ultimately leaving them with seven points to spare (3-11 to 2-7) against their northside rivals.

Cuala and Na Fianna, meanwhile, progressed up the table as a result of their respective triumphs over St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh (2-13 to 3-7) and Thomas Davis (2-12 to 2-11). It was also a successful evening at Broomfield for St Sylvester’s – who emerged on the right side of a 1-14 to 0-7 scoreline against basement side Castleknock.

AFL DIV. 1 MATCH REPORT: BALLINTEER ST. JOHNS V ST. JUDES

ADULT FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

BALLINTEER ST JOHN’S 2-11

ST JUDE’S 1-12

By Daire Walsh

On a hot summer evening at Marley Park, the bench power of Ballinteer St John’s helped them to hold a decisive edge over St Jude’s in Division One of the Adult Football League.

With former county star Nicky Devereux and Dublin U20 panellist Eoghan Fitzpatrick making an impact, Ballinteer moved ahead of their southside rivals at the beginning of the final-quarter.

Jude’s then looked set to prevail after Niall Coakley finished a subsequent attack to the net, only for another pair of Ballinteer substitutes – Eoghan Joyce and Shane McCann – to guide last year’s AFL2 champions over the line.

After a difficult start to the season (where they failed to register a win in the opening four rounds), Ballinteer have now gathered some momentum with back-to-back league victories. While Jude’s began 2018 with impressive successes against Na Fianna and Naomh Maur, four defeats on the bounce have since followed.

Each of their reversals has been by slender margins and there was little to separate the sides during the opening moments of this contest. Despite conceding an early point to Ballinteer’s Sam Tully, Jude’s centre-forward Declan Donnelly levelled matters in swift fashion.

He curled another effort between the posts off his left-toot, before Ballinteer midfielder Robbie Gaughan also kicked over at the end of an elongated move. Though there could be no faulting the endeavour of both teams in humid conditions, a number of wides were clocked up in the opening-quarter of the action.

Former Laois footballer Billy Sheehan played a roving role for Jude’s in the middle sector, where nominal Ballinteer corner-forward Fearghal Duffy also popped up on a number of occasions. Following a coolly-converted free by Cork native Coakley, wing-back Tom Lahiff released Simon King for a fine score from play.

Tully responded with his second of the game, but Jude’s remained in control with another Coakley point. Yet, as the half developed, Ballinteer managed to get the measure of their Wellington Lane counterparts.

Another fine Gaughan strike on the run was supplemented by Aaron Bradshaw’s solo effort – restoring parity for the fourth time in the half. With their tails now up, the hosts regained the lead with a Luke Naughton point on 27 minutes.

Heading into first-half stoppage-time, Ballinteer were yet to register a score from a placed-ball. That all changed when the powerful Aodhan Clabby stepped forward to negotiate a 35-metre free – the full-forward splitting the posts to give his side a 0-7 to 0-5 interval advantage.

Donnelly and Tully were key performers in the respective attacks throughout the opening period, and they traded points in quick succession just after the restart. Coakley also brought his inter-county experience to bear on this fixture, as he heralded a strong purple patch for the visitors.

His long-distance point was followed by King and Tom Lahiff singles, offering Jude’s a slight cushion on the stroke of 40 minutes. This momentum was eventually broken by a Duffy point for Ballinteer, though – setting the tie up for a grandstand finale.

Just moments after his introduction, Devereux produced a penetrating run to force the Jude’s defence on the back-foot. He picked out Clabby in acres of space, and he then passed across goal for Naughton to palm home from close-range.

Swapped scores between Kieran Doherty and Naughton ensured Ballinteer’s three-point lead (1-10 to 0-10) remained intact, but a resilient Jude’s fired back with a major of their own. Excellent approach play by Neal Mangan put Coakley through on goal, and he brilliantly shot beyond the reach of opposition netminder Liam Mailey.

Centre-back Ciaran McLoughlin broke forward to register an outstanding point and Donnelly gave them breathing space with his fourth score on the hour mark. However, Ballinteer simply wouldn’t let their challenge fade out.

Joyce had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes when his flicked home a dangerous ball into the square.

Seamus Ryan and Ronan Joyce both had opportunities to potentially salvage a draw for Jude’s during a lengthy spell of injury-time, before Shane McCann profited from another surging Devereux run to secure the spoils for Ballinteer.

Scorers – Ballinteer St John’s: Luke Naughton 1-2, Sam Tully 0-3, Eoghan Joyce 1-0, Robbie Gaughan 0-2, Aaron Bradshaw, Aodhan Clabby, Fearghal Duffy, Shane McCann 0-1 each. St Jude’s: Niall Coakley 1-3 (0-1f), Declan Donnelly 0-4, Simon King 0-2, Tom Lahiff, Eoin McLoughlin, Kieran Doherty 0-1 each.

BALLINTEER ST JOHN’S: Colm O’Donnell; Sean Smith, Diarmuid Kennedy, Joe O’Connor; Simon O’Reilly, Michael Mitchell, David Devereux; Robbie Gaughan, Donal Gormley; Paul Farrell, Aaron Bradshaw, Sam Tully; Luke Naughton, Aodhan Clabby, Fearghal Duffy. Subs: Eoghan Fitzpatrick for Farrell (43), Nicky Devereux for Smith (46), Peter O’Curry for Gaughan (49), Shane McCann for Gormley (52), Eoghan Joyce for Naughton (54).

ST JUDE’S: Liam Mailey; Oisin Manning, Ciaran Fitzpatrick, Cillian O’Reilly; Tom Lahiff, Eoin McLoughlin, Ciaran McLoughlin; Simon King, Seamus Ryan; Tom Devlin, Declan Donnelly, Ronan Joyce; Niall Coakley, Billy Sheehan, Neal Mangan. Subs: Kieran Doherty for Sheehan (47), Barry Fitzgerald for Devlin (48), Ryan Wallace for C McLoughlin (52).

Referee: Tony Lambe (St Vincent’s).