Con O’Callaghan hits 1-6 for Cuala on return from injury

The Dublin star was hugely impressive but the scoring honours were claimed by his younger brother Niall, who finished the game with 3-1 to his name.

Con O'Callaghan made a winning return with Cuala

Ballyboden St Enda’s turned on the style in the second-half as they defeated Ballymun Kickhams by 4-10 to 2-11 in their Go Ahead Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship Group 2 encounter at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.

With the wind at their backs, Ballymun started on the front foot through points from Paddy Small and Dillon Keating before St Enda’s hit back through Warren Egan and Colm Basquel.

It remained similarly tight as the contest evolved with scores from Philly McMahon and Dean Rock cancelled out by Ross McGarry and Colm Basquel as the 2020 winners enjoyed a narrow 0-7 to 0-6 interval lead.

Early scores from Keating and Rock pushed Kickhams three points clear early in the second-half but a Colm Basquel goal levelled matters in the 38th minute.

A penalty from Rock within two minutes restored Ballymun’s buffer but their defence was caught horribly exposed as times and they were suitably punished as Ballyboden netted through Ryan Basquel, Egan and James Holland to claim a deserved win.

Across the city in O’Toole Park, Con O’Callaghan made a welcome and positive return from injury when helping Cuala to defeat Clontarf by 4-11 to 3-7.

The Dublin star kicked 1-6 over the hour but the scoring honours were claimed by his younger brother Niall, who finished the game with 3-1 to his name.

Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne exerted a strong influence in Cuala’s midfield with Peter Duffy and David O’Dowd also impressing for the winners.

There was a thrilling conclusion to Whitehall Colmcille’s clash with Castleknock as Cormac Costello netted directly from a free deep into injury time to edge Colmcille to a narrow 3-16 to 3-14 win.

Eoin Sawyer’s brace of goals and another from Kevin Stephenson looked to be enough for Castleknock but Costello, who accrued 1-8 in total, saw his late free deceive Morven Connolly in goal to complete a hugely entertaining encounter.

SFC1 Group 1: Ballinteer St John’s 0-8 Kilmacud Crokes 0-12.

SFC1 Group 2: Ballyboden St Enda’s 4-10 Ballymun Kickhams 2-10; Cuala 4-11 Clontarf 3-7.

SFC1 Group 4: Castleknock 3-14 Whitehall Colmcille 3-16; Lucan Sarsfields 1-21 Round Towers Lusk 1-7.