Ballyboden book semi-final place despite late Ballinteer rally

A Warren Egan brace of goals helped St Enda's into the last four. 

LOOSE BALL: Ballinteer St Johns' Fearghal Duffy challenges Eoin Behan and goalkeeper Darragh Gogan of Ballyboden St Enda's.

Ballyboden St Enda's 3-15 

Ballinteer St John's 3-10 

A brace of goals from Warren Egan sent Ballyboden St Enda’s into their fifth consecutive Dublin SFC semi-final but they were made to see out a nervy finish.

Darren O’Reilly added a third in the 41st minute and Colm Basquel kicked seven points as Ballinteer St Johns’ challenge appeared to have fallen asunder in this last-eight game in Parnell Park. Ballyboden led by 10 points up to the 55th minute but were rocked by their opponents' rally of 2-1 in the space of four minutes.

Trailing 1-6 to 1-9 at the interval, Ballinteer replaced two point-scorers in Donnacha Carey and Dan O’Leary and their injury worries deepened throughout the second half. They played out the last 15 minutes with 14 as they had reached their replacement quota by the time Luke Breathnach couldn’t carry on.

Egan was picked out on the left wing for his second goal in the 34th minute, the corner-forward making the most of the mismatch against Ballinteer midfielder Eoghan Fitzpatrick, turning on the afterburners and finishing low to the net.

Darren O’Reilly’s excellent finish in the 41st minute sent Ballyboden eight clear and seemingly out of touch but they had to sweat to avoid a collapse in the closing stages. Fearghal Duffy made the most of an aerial mix-up to register a three-pointer in the 55th minute. A drilling shot by David Devereux two minutes later sliced the margin to four points, which became three when Jack Lundy stroked over his third point.

However, Ballyboden’s veteran substitutes were able to steer their side clear of trouble. Declan O’Mahony first denied a goalbound shot and Conal Keaney, who turns 40 next Saturday, kicked the last two points of the game, the latter of them from a sideline. It shouldn’t have been so frenetic for Ballyboden, who were clearly the better team, and yet tuning out towards the end of the second half as they did the first will be alarming going into the last-four stages.

Ballinteer’s start had been promising. After Fearghal Duffy and Egan exchanged points in the opening minute, they were awarded a penalty in the second minute for a late tackle by Cathal Flaherty. Lundy dispatched the ball to the net and the underdogs were off and running.

Or so it seemed. They didn’t score again until the 16th minute and in the intervening period their neighbours hit them for 1-5. After a couple of Basquel points, Ryan O’Dwyer tied up the game in the seventh minute and his fellow inside forward O’Reilly pushed Ballyboden ahead in the 11th minute.

Seconds later, Egan cut through the Ballinteer cover to raise a green flag and when Basquel followed up with another couple of points the signs were ominous. The movement of the Ballyboden attack was constant and Ballinteer were blowing hard.

Corner back Paddy Connaughton stopped the rot for Ballinteer with a beautifully-curled strike and Luke Breathnach and Carey ate further into Ballyboden’s lead. At the other end, O’Dwyer had an easy point opportunity in the 24th minute but sacrificed it for a goal opening only for former Dublin U21 goalkeeper John Brian Carty to pull off a save.

The margin was two when Colm Fitzpatrick sent over a mark but Basquel eased Ballyboden’s worries with another couple of points going into the break.

Scorers for Ballyboden St Enda’s: C. Basquel (0-7, 2 frees, 1 mark); W. Egan (2-2); D. O’Reilly (1-1); R. O’Dwyer, C. Keaney (1 sideline) (0-2 each); A. Flood (0-1).

Scorers for Ballinteer St John’s: J. Lundy (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-1 free); F. Duffy (1-1); D. Devereux (1-0); P. Connaughton, L. Breathnach, D. Carey, C. Fitzpatrick (mark), O. McIvor, L. Smith (0-1 each).

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: D. Gogan; S. Clayton, C. Flaherty, P. Dunleavy; E. Behan, A. Gavin, R. Baynes; M. McDonald, L. O’Donoghue; A. Flood, R. McGarry, C. Basquel; R. O’Dwyer, D. O’Reilly, W. Egan.

Subs for Ballyboden St Enda’s: M.D. Macauley for M. McDonald (42); C. Keaney for D. O’Reilly (46); D. O’Mahony for R. Baynes, K. Kennedy for L. O’Donoghue (both 50); B. Bobbett for C. Basquel (57).

BALLINTEER ST JOHN’S: J.B. Carty; P. Connaughton, L. Smith, D. Kennedy; I Ó hEithir, B. Millist, D. O’Leary; E. Fitzpatrick (c), D. Devereux; D. Carey, J. Lundy, C. Fitzpatrick; F. Duffy, L. Breathnach, O. McIvor.

Subs for Ballinteer St John’s: D. Murray for D. Carey, N. Devereux for D. O’Leary (both h-t); A. Clabby for O. McIvor, L. Fenton for C. Fitzpatrick (both 42); J. Sweeney for E. Fitzpatrick (46).

Referee: D. Delaney (Ballyboden Wanderers).