Rainbow has no complaints after seeing his side losing SFC decider
BALLYMUN KICKHAMS……………………………………..1-19
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S……………………………………0-8
By Daire Walsh
BALLYBODEN St Enda’s manager Anthony Rainbow had no complaints after his side relinquished their Dublin Senior One Football Championship title following a comprehensive defeat to Ballymun Kickhams at Parnell Park last Sunday.
Despite an encouraging opening to the contest, ‘Boden could not replicate their accomplished triumph over Thomas Davis in the 2019 decider. This result rounded off a difficult couple of weeks for the Firhouse Road club, following their county hurling final reversal to Cuala seven days earlier.
“Very disappointing day for us and we’ve no complaints. We were probably beaten by a better side on the day. We just didn’t come out really and play the football that we normally play. That fluid football. It just wasn’t our day,” Rainbow reflected afterwards.
“They got a bit of a run on us in the second quarter and we found it hard to peg that back. Our shooting efficiency was way down what it normally is as well. We didn’t score at all in the second quarter and that was probably a poor quarter for ourselves.
“We got a better start at the start of the second half, but again our shooting was just letting us down a small bit. We had more possession, we were on the ball a bit more. It just didn’t happen for us and that was it.”
There had been little in the initial moments of the action to suggest Ballymun were going to saunter over the line in such a convincing fashion. Having featured for ‘Boden’s senior hurlers on the previous weekend, Conal Keaney got the defending champions up and running with a fine point off his cultured left boot.
While Ballymun responded with three points in as many minutes from Paddy Small, Cathal O’Tighe and Dillon Keating, their southside counterparts subsequently levelled matters through a Colm Basquel free and Keaney’s second of the half.
Basquel’s brother Ryan swapped scores with Dean Rock in what was proving to be a pulsating affair. Yet it was at this point that the Ballymun challenge truly caught fire.
Small had a left-angled shot tipped over the crossbar and with Rock contributing a brace of points from play, Brendan Hackett’s men were leading 0-7 to 0-4 at the first half water break. Having already shown a strong appetite around the middle-third, ‘Boden were expected to rediscover their rhythm when the play resumed.
Yet it was Ballymun who continued to rule the roost. One of six Dublin panellists in their starting line-up, Rock was at his expressive best throughout the opening period. He kicked no fewer than five points in the second quarter, including two from frees and a mark.
Fiach Andrews also kicked two excellent scores to give the northsiders an incredible 0-14 to 0-4 buffer at the break. ‘Boden did their utmost to address this deficit, with Declan O’Mahony, James Holland and Alan Flood all introduced on the resumption.
Nevertheless, Ballymun maintained their stranglehold courtesy of a two-point salvo by the electric Keating. Finally, after a 34-minute barren spell, ‘Boden added their fifth point through a routine Colm Basquel free.
With the evergreen Keaney leading the way, ‘Boden battled admirably during the closing stages of this showpiece encounter.
The 38-year-old bagged his third on 52 minutes, while Ryan Basquel matched this tally with points either side of a white flag effort from his opposite number Andrews.
However, Ballymun were determined to end the game with a flourish. Rock expertly drilled a penalty to bring his personal haul to 1-8, before Andrews and Jason Whelan efforts left Ballyboden 14 points adrift in the end.
It wasn’t to be for Rainbow and his troops on the day but with the Kildare native eager to stay on for another year, they are expected to remain in the hunt for top honours in 2021.
BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: E Comerford; P McMahon, E Dolan, D Conlon; L Young, J Small, C Keeley; A Elliott, J McCarthy; D Keating, C McCormack, C O’Tighe; P Small, F Andrews, D Rock. Subs: J Whelan for O’Tighe (50), A McCaul for Keating (53), C McManus for McCormack (58), B Ashton for Elliott (60).
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: M McNamee; S Clayton, K Kennedy, C Flaherty; B Bobbett, D Nelson, R McDaid; MD Macauley, A Waters; R McGarry, W Egan, D O’Reilly; C Keaney, R Basquel, C Basquel Subs: D O’Mahony for Bobbett, J Holland for Nelson, A Flood for O’Reilly (all h-t), S Lambert for C Basquel (50), T Hayes for McGarry (55).