CROKES MINOR HURLERS PIP LOCAL RIVALS BALLYBODEN IN CLIFFHANGER!
DUBLIN MINOR A HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINAL –
KILMACUD CROKES 1-18 BALLYBODEN St.ENDA’S 1-16.
(Match report by Diarmuid Coogan.)
On Sunday 19th October in Silverpark, Kilmacud Crokes & Ballyboden Minor Hurlers served up a thrilling match of hurling in the conditions most unfavourable to the ancient game!
Since these teams were U11 in 2018, they’ve had an intense rivalry and have consistently been the top 2 sides in their age group in Dublin. In 2021 at the same venue, Boden edged out Crokes after extra time in the U14 final while Crokes shaded it in the U16 final in 2023 in Boden.
In this fixture, home advantage is no advantage and so it was the case on Sunday. After repelling an early Crokes attack from the throw in, ‘Boden midfielder and captain, James Norris, drove a long ball down the right to Dublin Minor corner forward Sean Culleton; Culleton carried and expertly committed a defender before hand passing to left corner forward Fiachra Codd, unmarked on the edge of the square and Codd unleashed an unstoppable shot into the left corner on the net with 48 seconds on the clock! (KC 0 BSE 1-1)
Codd, himself a Dublin Minor in 2023 &24, epitomises the spirit of this Boden team since 2018 and he certainly threw down the gauntlet to Crokes!
Crokes goalie Conor Coogan found ½ forward Conall Criostóir from the puck out who in turn fed Eoghan O’Donovan and, despite being fouled, O’Donovan swung over a neat point from 20 metres to settle Crokes’ nerves. (KC 0-1, BSE 1-0)
In the 5th minute, Criostóir won possession on the left and fed corner forward Cian Moriarty who struck a great point from a very acute angle. (KC 0-2, BSE 1-0)
A minute later, Boden’s Dublin Minor centre half forward Ernesto Tennant carried from deep into the Crokes half before striking a great point from 20 metres. (KC 0-2, BSE 1-1)
On 9 minutes, Boden’s goalie Marc Hayes dealt very well with a tricky high ball but the defence tried to play it out and great pressure by O’Donovan and a clever hand pass from midfielder Thomas Ambrose led to fine point from Criostóir from 30 metres. (KC 0-3, BSE 1-1)
From a line ball on his own 45m line, Crokes centre back Rory Flannery struck an excellent drive into the left corner where Moriarty did well to win possession and fed ½ forward Connie O’Sullivan who hit a lovely point from the left sideline to level the score. (KC 0-4, BSE 1-1)
Culleton then restored Boden’s lead after winning possession on the 20 metre line and despite being under pressure from Crokes’ full back James Ryan, turned to strike an efficient point. (KC 0-4 BSE1-2)
Coogan found O’Donovan on the right wing from the puck out and he played a great diagonal ball into the right corner where Ryan Crowley gained possession and rounded his man to head for goal; Hayes did well to narrow the angle and Crowley’s shot was scrambled away by the defence but only as far as Moriarty who tapped over to level matters again. (KC 0-5 BSE 1-2)
In the 15th minute, Flannery disrupted a promising run by Boden midfielder Joe Clohessy and then drove it long to O’Sullivan on the left who played it back to Moriarty who struck his 3rd point from 40 metres. (KC 0-6 BSE 1-2)
A minute later, following a great line ball from midfielder Deimhne Murphy on the left, O’Donovan fed Criostoir who swung over a point to give Crokes a 2 point lead. (KC 0-7 BSE 1-2)
Hayes then drove the puck out to the left where half forward Cillian Doyle made a wonderful catch before paying the sliothar inside to Clohessy who carried before striking a great point from the “D”! (KC 0-7 BSE 1-3)
On 18 minutes, following good defensive work by Ryan and corner back James Smyth to thwart a dangerous Boden attack, Murphy played it into Criostóir who tapped over. (KC 0-8 BSE 1-3)
2 minutes later following great pressure by ½ forward Andy Blanker, Crokes were awarded a free which Criostóir despatched for the 1st “dead ball” score of the day! (0-9 BSE 1-3)
It was a game which referee Paul Faughnan “let flow” and was characterised by the intense hooking and blocking by both sides and any player who took the ball into contact was instantly “bottled up” and turned over!
On 25 minutes, wing back Daithi Linehan hit a good clearance on the right and the influential Flannery made a great overhead catch before carrying for 20 metres and striking a fine point from 40 metres to open up a 4 point lead, which in the context of this game seemed a lot! (KC 0-10 BSE 1-3)
Hayes drove a great puck out to the right which Norris latched onto and carried before passing inside to Tennant who was fouled just as he was about to strike for goal. Culleton tapped over the resultant free. (KC 0-10 BSE 1-4)
In the 30th minute, Doyle gathered in the middle for Boden and offloaded to Norris who found space and bisected the posts to reduce the gap to 2. (KC 0-10 BSE 1-5)
In the 3rd minute of 1st half injury time, Codd did very well to win possession following a ruck in the right corner and played a quick ball across the goal where Boden forward Alan Delaney pulled on it 1st time but Coogan dived to deflect it out for a 65.
Norris’s 1st 65 dropped to the right where wing back Fintan Lydon had to be very alert to block Culleton’s effort for another 65. Norris nailed the subsequent 65 to make it a 1 point game at half time. (KC 0-10 BSE 1-6)
2nd Half
Crokes had been aided by a strong wind and it was felt that they would need a 5/6 point lead going into the 2nd half so they now face a stern examination of their character.
2 minutes into the ½, Flannery blocked a Boden line ball on the left and after securing possession, struck a lovely point from the touchline to regain the initiative for Crokes. (KC 0-11 BSE 1-6)
Hayes drove the puck out long to the left where Codd gave a quick hand pass to Norris for a very good retort. (KC 0-11 BSE 1-7)
A minute later, O’Sullivan hit a looping ball towards the goal from 50 metres on the left; Crowley gained possession on the edge of the square and fed the unmarked Criostóir who buried it in the left corner of the net! (KC 1-11 BSE 1-7)
Boden hit back from the puck out with a pointed free from Culleton. Ambrose won the Crokes puck out and combined with Flannery to feed Criostóir in space and he stroked over from the right. (BC 1-12 BSE 1-8)
Hayes pucked out long to the right where Doyle broke it down to Norris who struck a lovely point from the sideline with 2 Crokes defenders bearing down on him. (KC1-12 BSE 1-9)
Coogan picked out Flannery in space from the puck out and he played a clever diagonal ball into O’Donovan who fed Criostóir and he tapped over. (KC 1-13 BSE 1-9)
Doyle and Culleton(a monster point from his own half!) then followed up with points for Boden. (KC 1-13 BSE 1-11)
Crokes had an opportunity to put some “daylight” between the sides when Crowley picked out O’Donovan just outside the square; O’Donovan did everything right but Hayes reduced the angle and made an excellent save.
Doyle then hit a great point from the right sideline to reduce the gap to 1! (KC 1-13 BSE 1-12)
On 45 minutes, Criostóir found Flannery on the Boden 45m line and he restored the 2 point lead with a lovely strike but Clohessy replied for Boden from 60 metres. KC 1-14 BSE 1-13)
Norris then levelled matters with 11 minutes to go and the momentum seemed to be with Boden. (KC 1-4 BSE 1-14)
LET OFF!
Boden then had a great opportunity to surge ahead after a great sideline ball by centre back Daniel O’Connor broke to Doyle on the right of the large square; as he bore down on goal, Coogan cut down the space and somehow managed to save the shot with his backside!
Linehan and Criostóir were alert to the rebound and pressurised the Boden forward into putting the ball wide – a major “let off” for Crokes!
Having survived that scare, Criostóir and Ryan played a “1-2” before Criostóir restored the lead for Crokes after 52 minutes. (KC 1-15 BSE 1-14)
2 minutes later, O’Donovan looked to have put Flannery in for a goal only for another great save by Hayes but O’Sullivan managed to regain possession to hit a lovely point from the right. (KC 1-16 BSE 1-14)
Norris reduced the gap with a free on 58 minutes but Coogan then pucked long to the left and sub forward Dara Crean hit a brilliant point from the sideline with his 1st touch of the game! (KC 1-17 BSE 1-15)
In the 1st minute of injury time, Crean put huge pressure on the Boden defence and was awarded a free 30 metres out in front of goal. Criostóir nailed this to give Crokes a 3 point lead. (KC 1-18 BSE 1-15)
The referee had signalled that there would be a least 5 minutes injury time so when Norris tapped over a free a minute later, the Crokes mentors were very anxious as 2 points is a very dangerous lead in GAA!
In 5th minute of injury time, Culleton was fouled about 35 metres out; he was told that this would be the last play of the game and hit a low shot goalwards where Blanker did well to block and clear the sliothar but only as far as Boden wing back Cosgrove whose shot looked as if it was going over for a point only to hit the right post. Luckily for Crokes, Flannery was quickest to react and he cleared the ball to the sound of the final whistle!
Scorers: Crokes: C.Criostóir 1-8 (2f), R.Flannery, C.Moriarty 0-3 each, C.O’Sullivan 0-2, E.O’Donovan, D.Crean 0-1 each.
Boden: J.Norris 0-7(1 65, 1f), S.Culleton 0-4(1f), J.Clohessy, C.Doyle 0-2 each, E.Tennant 0-1.
Kilmacud Crokes:
C.Coogan, R.Robertson, J.Ryan(Capt), J.Smyth, D.Linehan, R.Flannery, F.Lydon, T.Ambrose, D.Murphy, C.O’Sullivan, C. Criostóir, A.Blanker, R.Crowley,E.O’Donovan,C.Moriarty.
Subs: D.Crean f Crowley, L.Robinson f Moriarty, D.Tighe f J.Smyth,
H.Leahy, R.McNamara,J.Davy, J.Axelsson, J.Sherry, J.Quinlan.
Ballyboden:
M.Hayes,P.Cashin, S.Homan, D.Gannon, C.Cosgrove, D.O’Connor, J.Mahon, J.Clohessy, J.Norris(Capt), C.Doyle, E.Tennant, A.Delaney, S.Culleton, D.Lynch, F.Codd.
Subs: J.Heavey, B.Herbert, J.McIntyre, B.Grumley, H.McCrystal, A.Ryan, T.Brophy, D.Grant.
Dúirt siad:
Crokes Bainisteoir Ros Criostóir:
“We are delighted to come out on top in a fantastic battle with our old rivals Ballyboden. These two teams have huge respect and rivalry built up through many underage matches over the years. In a game that could have easily gone away from us we are very proud of our players’ resilience, calmness under pressure and the bravery to do the right thing, working so hard for a victory in very difficult conditions. The players are a great group of lads who work very hard for each other - As the seanfhocail says: Ní neart go cur le chéile!”
Ballyboden Bainisteoir John Corr: “It was a great battle – our lads gave it everything on the day but Crokes were just a bit better in taking their scores”
Boden Leas Bainisteoir Collie Durkan: “They are 2 amazing groups of lads. For me it’s ultimately all about developing the game in Dublin. It was a brilliant match for a quarter final – it felt more like a county final. I’m proud of how we went toe to toe with our closest rivals in Dubin right to the final whistle. The future for Dublin Hurling is bright.”
