Seniors lose to Boden in County Final

Parnell Park, Saturday, 1 Nov 2008

And so Crokes 2009 senior hurling championship campaign came to an end.  The difference between the sides was a powerful, polished second half Ballyboden display, underpinned by highly impressive resolve and imposing physicality.

Boden were on the scoreboard within a minute.  Crokes then dominated.  By the seventeenth minute they were 0-4 to 0-1 in front thanks to three frees from Eoin Fitzgerald and one from Fergal Armstrong.  Crokes centre back Niall Corcoran was hoovering up everything that came his way and, as they were throughout the game, the full back trio of Damien Byrne, Willie Ryan and Dave Mahony were on top of their markers.

In the nineteenth minute the complexion of the game changed.  A Ballyboden rob was turned into a point.  The puck out was won and the dose repeated.  It was now 0-4 to 0-3.  In the twenty first minute the sides were level.  Ominously Boden’s dominance in the half back line and at midfield was becoming more evident.   During the course of the game Crokes were to try eight different players in an effort to sort difficulties on the forty line.  

The remaining ten minutes to half time saw Boden apply strong pressure.  In the twenty seventh minute keeper, Richie Sweetnam, reacted well to keep out a goal bound kick by one of the Boden corner forwards.  The ball was carried over the end line.  From the resultant 65 Boden pointed.  Two minutes later good Crokes interplay between Damien Byrne, Adrian Grogan and Brian Motherway broke down.  Boden came away to make it 0-6 to 0-4.  A foul on Ross O’Carroll as he emerged with the ball from a scramble, from the puck out, gave Fitzgerald the opportunity to make it 0-6 to 0-5 and thus ended the first half.

Five Boden points in the first four minutes of the second half put daylight between the sides.  They scored another three before hard work by Neil Casey was rewarded with a minor, Crokes first score of the half, in the forty ninth minute.  By now Crokes had introduced Shane O’Rorke and Hugh Gannon but were still finding the Boden defence too hot to handle.  Boden were also dominant in the middle of the field.   Five of their scores came from one midfielder.  The Crokes defence continued to strive manfully but the tide was not to be turned.  Barry O’Rorke came on the fifty second minute and scored a point five minutes later to offset against the three Boden scored in the last seven minutes.

As Boden collected their second title in a row our thoughts are with our own players.  Disappointed as they must be, they can be proud of their achievement in bringing the club to its first county final in twelve years.  They also reached the 2007 All-Ireland Hurling Sevens final and have the final of that year’s senior league yet to play.  From its starting point three years ago the team has made great strides.  Now county championships are a realistic aspiration and an impressive array of young talent is coming through.  A much more professional attitude is evident in all aspects of team preparation and back-up and, critically, the squad has internalised the realities of being serious contenders.  This more than anything is a tribute to the diligence, perseverance and sheer hard work of manager Morgan Lalor and his selectoral colleagues, Colm Maher and John Dillon.  To them we are deeply indebted.  We also extend thanks to logistics man Sean Allen, ably assisted by Eamonn and Anita, and to team doctor Tiernan Murray.  To everybody connected with the team, especially the players beir bua.  Beidh la eile!

For Hill16 report see http://www.hill16.ie/viewstoryhill16.asp?id=10402&mainheading=Word+on+The+Hill&viewstory=yes

Teams:

KILMACUD CROKES - R Sweetnam; W Ryan, D Mahony, D Byrne; A De Paor, N Corcoran, D De Paor; A Grogan, F Armstrong (0-1, f); C Clinton, J Burke, B Motherway; N Casey (0-1), E Fitzgerald (0-4,f–4), Ross O’Carroll. Subs: S O’Rorke for Clinton (ht); H Gannon for Motherway (48); B O’Rorke (0-1) for S O’Rorke (53), MacD O’hOgain, R Mangan, D McGovern, R O’Loughlin, M Dalton, F Garvey, A Tiernan, E de Paor, S Gillen, N Butler and B Hoyne.  Rory O’Carroll (inj)

BALLYBODEN ST ENDAS - G Maguire; J Duffy, S Perkins, T Sweeney; S Lambert, D Spain, S Hiney; M Travers, S Durkin (0-5) D Sweeney (0-3), D Curtin (0-5, f-2, 65-2), C Keaney; P Ryan (0-3, f-2), C McCormack, E Carroll (0-1). Subs: M Griffin for McCormack (40); D Daly for Keaney (57); C Ryan for Duffy (60).

REF - P Power (Parnells)

You can view images from the match by clicking  HERE or on the image above