KEANE HERO FOR OLAF’S
Late goal steers home side to win
DUBLIN MFC ‘A’ GROUP 2
NAOMH OLAF………………………………………. 2-12
BALLYMUN KICKHAMS…………………………… 1-13
Daire Walsh
A LATE goal from Tom Keane was the difference between the teams at Pairc Ui Bhriain on Sunday morning, when Naomh Olaf got the better of Ballymun Kickhams in Group Two of the Dublin Minor ‘A’ Football Championship.
Both sides had enjoyed winning starts to their respective championship campaigns, and although Ballymun led for large spells of this contest, a strong flourish in the final stages helped Olaf’s to preserve their 100 per cent record.
Ballymun had opened the scoring with a point from play by half-back Sean Tuke, but following hesitancy in their defence in the fourth-minute, Olaf’s attacker Joe Rafferty fired past Ballymun’s Evan Comerford from close-range.
A brace of successful frees by full-forward Keane offered the hosts an early four-point advantage, but Eoin Dolan’s charges eventually settled into their usual rhythm.
Midfielder Sean Perkins (free) and Tony McCaul were on target for the northside club, before excellent approach work by Ryan Pepper set-up a stunning 17th-minute goal from the raiding Cameron McCormack.
This moved Ballymun Kickhams into the ascendancy for the very first time, but even though Darragh Conlan added a point on 23 minutes, Olaf’s twice levelled matters through Adam Byrne and powerful centre-fielder Eoin Foley.
A second point from Dublin minor of this year Keane also arrived prior to the interval, but with Darren Robinson, McCormack (two) and Perkins all raising white flags, Ballymun entered the interval period with a three-point cushion (1-8 to 1-5).
SUPERB
Ballymun (who count former Dublin footballer Alan Hubbard amongst their management team) added to their tally just four minutes after the restart with a superb placed-ball effort by Perkins, before a similar score by Keane kept Olaf’s within touching distance.
Further swapped scores between Perkins and Foley meant that just three points separated the teams moving into the final 20 minutes of the action, but with Perkins significantly boosting his own personal haul with three successful frees, Ballymun led 1-13 to 1-9 with 13 minutes remaining.
Points from Keane (free) and substitute Cian Sullivan ensured that the southsiders were gathering serious momentum, though, and the decisive moment in the game eventually arrived in the 57th-minute – when Keane finished clinically to the top left-hand corner of the Ballymun net.
This suddenly increased the pressure on Ballymun, but after a Perkins shot from a right-hand angle dropped into the arms of Olaf’s netminder Fiachra McLoughlin, a stoppage-time free from Glenn Soraghan ultimately determined the final outcome of this engrossing encounter.
MATCH FILE
Scorers – Naomh Olaf: T Keane 1-6 (0-5f), J Rafferty 1-0, E Foley 0-2, G Soraghan (f), F O’Sullivan, A Byrne, C Sullivan 0-1 each. Ballymun Kickhams: S Perkins 0-7 (6f), C McCormack 1-2, S Tuke, D Robinson, D Conlon, T McCaul 0-1 each.
NAOMH OLAF: F McLoughlin; E Cahill, C Kirwan, T McGurke; F O’Sullivan, S McDaid, R Gallagher; L Doran, E Foley; G Soraghan, J Dalton, J Rafferty; A Byrne, T Keane, C McInerney.
Subs: C Sullivan for Cahill (45), M O Ceallaigh for Dalton (51), C De Burca for McInerney (63).
BALLYMUN KICKHAMS: E Comerford; J Mulhall, R Kelly, E Hill; C Fagan, C Cullen-Fleming, S Tuke; C McCormack, S Perkins; D McCardle, D Robinson, R Pepper; D Foye, D Conlon, T McCaul.
Sub: C Fox for Pepper (51).
MENTORS – Naomh Olaf: Cathal Soraghan, Darren Egan. Ballymun Kickhams: Eoin Dolan, Alan Hubbard, Philip O’Dea, Paul Ashton.
REFEREE: James King (Garda/Westmanstown Gaels).
WIDES – Naomh Olaf: 6 (3+3). Ballymun Kickhams: 7 (4+3).
CONDITIONS: Dry and bright conditions throughout, with sunny spells.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Tom Keane (Naomh Olaf).