KICKHAMS DELIGHT
Attacking trio key to Ballymun victory
DUBLIN MFC ‘A’ SEMI-FINAL
BALLYMUN KICKHAMS………………………………………………. 1-13
KILMACUD CROKES……………………………………………………. 0-8
Daire Walsh
THE attacking triumvriate of Colm Hulton, Paddy Small and Dillon Keating were influential in O’Toole Park on Sunday afternoon, as Ballymun Kickhams progressed to the Dublin MFC ‘A’ showpiece following a well-deserved triumph against 14-man Kilmacud Crokes.
With a combined tally of 1-9, Hulton, Small and Keating played a massive part in the Pairc Ciceam outfit’s success as they progressed to face Ballyboden St Enda’s in the decider, and even though Crokes never allowed their heads to drop at any stage, the 50th minute dismissal (two yellows) of lively corner-forward Michael Frawley left them with too much to do during the closing moments.
With 11 wins and one draw from 13 outings helping them to reach the summit of the MFL Division 1 table with just one game left to play, Ballymun were aiming to maintain their momentum heading into the last-four of the championship’s top-tier.
However, Crokes have also impressed throughout 2015, and they currently find themselves just two places behind their northside rivals in the league standings.
Indeed, Ballymun’s only defeat in the league was against Dr Pat Duggan’s side in Glenalbyn on July 13, and this would have been a motivational factor for both sides heading into this contest.
With ten players from this year’s Dublin minor panel (manager Paddy Christie combines roles at club and inter-county level), Ballymun Kickhams were always going to be formidable opponents, but thanks to the presence of Callum Pearson and Tom Fox – who featured in Dublin’s Leinster semi-final reversal to Kildare in July – Crokes had plenty of potency in attack.
In fact, it was the Stillorgan boys who broke the deadlock just two minutes into the action, when Frawley split the posts from a close-range free. Andy Fox was being deployed by Crokes as a spare man in their defence, with Ballymun defensive lynchpin Leon Young performing a similar role at the opposite end of the pitch.
This certainly was effective at times during the opening period, but Ballymun eventually settled with back-to-back scores from the central attacking axis of Small (a brother of All-Ireland winner John Small) and Keating.
It was a relatively even affair in the early exchanges, though, and after Frawley fired over the posts on eight minutes, goalkeeper Evan Comerford restored Ballymun’s one-point advantage with a superbly-taken ’45’.
With a slight breeze blowing against them, Crokes were finding it difficult to add to the scoreboard, and quick-fire points by Small and Hulton ensured that Ballymun kept ahead.
The Ballymun inside line were struggling to maintain possession at times, under intense pressure from their direct markers, while Dublin minor of the past three summers, Conor Kavanagh, often found himself on the back foot by his direct marker Dan O’Brien.
However, Ballymun opened up a four-point cushion over Crokes thanks to an excellent score from distance by half-back Dean O’Brien.
It was beginning to look quite ominous for Crokes, but having brought their scoring drought to an end with contributions from Tom Fox and the dependable Frawley (free), they had reduced the gap to two points (0-6 to 0-4) just in time for the break.
This bright ending to the half was a major bonus for Crokes, and although Keating split the posts in majestic fashion for Ballymun when the action resumed, their confidence was high.
Frawley and Tom Fox both found the target from play, and with the Kickhams rearguard coming under severe scrutiny, Cian Gerrard was moved from corner-forward to the pivotal centre-back position. Yet, this switch proved to be a shrewd one, and Balymun reinforced their superiority with points from midfielder Cathal O’Tighe (via excellent build-up play by Small), Hulton and a Small free.
Frawley did register a much-needed pointed free at the end of the third-quarter, but after Keating and the industrious O’Tighe increased the Ballymun lead to five, Crokes reverted to a more orthodox set-up.
Their hand was significantly forced with ten minutes remaining, however, as Frawley received a second yellow-card.
This left Crokes with a mountain climb, and when a well-converted Fox placed-ball was cancelled out by the tireless Small, Ballymun’s victory was almost secured.
Hulton’s emphatic 58th minute goal was the icing on the cake, and despite losing O’Tighe to a black-card in time added on, Ballymun Kickhams advanced to the final against Boden in convincing fashion.
Scorers – Ballymun Kickhams: C Hulton 1-2, P Small 0-4 (1f), D Keating 0-3 (2f), C O’Tighe 0-2, E Comerford (’45’), D O’Brien 0-1 each. Kilmacud Crokes: M Frawley 0-5 (3f), T Fox 0-3 (1f).
BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: E Comerford; D McArdle, S Brennan, R O’Leary; D O’Brien, L Young, E Craig; A Elliot, C O’Tighe; C Kavanagh, D Keating, K Keeley; C Holton, P Small, C Gerrard.
SUBS: A Swan for Brennan (39), K McDonnell for Holton (60), S Leahy for Gerrard (60), T McCaul for O’Tighe (62).
KILMACUD CROKES: O Doherty; S O’Dwyer, E Sheehy, B Carr; D O’Brien, S Daly, N Nolan; C Kelly, B Shovlin; C Pearson, P O’Flaherty, H Kelly; A Fox, T Fox, M Frawley.
SUBS: D Jones for H Kelly (43), J Gallagher for O’Flaherty (51), P Leonard for Nolan (60).
MENTORS – BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: Paddy Christie, Jack Duffy, Brendan Farrelly, Eddie Christie, Tomas Hayes. KILMACUD CROKES: Pat Duggan, Robert Behan, Martin McDermott, Rory Kelleher, Fionan Daly, Enda Kelly.
REFEREE: David O’Connor (Naomh Mearnog).
WIDES – Ballymun Kickhams: 10 (9+1). Kilmacud Crokes: 7 (1+6).
CONDITIONS: Mild and dry, but with a strong breeze at times.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Paddy Small (Ballymun Kickhams).