Ballyboden eyeing Leinster tilt after ending title wait in Dublin
DANCING IN THE DARK: Ballyboden celebrate with the trophy after winning
Boss Eamon O'Reilly says new Dublin SFC champions Ballyboden St Endas were desperate to make up for lost time.
The Firhouse Road outfit, regularly described as the biggest sporting club in Europe due to the amount of teams they field, are county champions for the first time since 2019.
Colm Basquel's remarkable work rate in attack, Daire Sweeney's point-scoring, Cein D'Arcy's 53rd minute goal and a superb defensive effort all added up to 'Boden getting the better of Na Fianna.
It's just a fifth title for the 2016 All-Ireland winners and immediate success for Cavan native O'Reilly who won a league and championship double in his first season as manager.
'Boden previously lost county finals in 2020 and 2023, to Ballymun Kickhams and Kilmacud Crokes, while they were well beaten at the quarter-final stage in 2024.
"It was evident from the start, the belief in this group that we felt we could do something," said O'Reilly, a renowned physio. "We felt we hadn't really kicked on since 2019, where we had a few disappointing defeats in those years.
"There was the 2020 final and then right the way through the last number of years. So the belief was there to get this thing over the line."
'Boden began their campaign by hammering Na Fianna by 17 points in their group opener back in August. Fittingly, they concluded the championship by overcoming the same opposition, albeit by a more modest four points.
Level at 0-7 to 0-7 at half-time, and again at 0-8 and 0-9 apiece, the two-time Leinster champions kicked on with a powerful final quarter, reeling off an unanswered 1-4 between the 48th and 61st minutes.
Former All-Star Basquel was terrific throughout, scoring two points, winning five frees that Sweeney converted and playing a key role in setting Galway senior D'Arcy free for the clinching goal.
'Boden opened up a nine-point, 1-16 to 0-10, lead before Na Fianna, who came from behind to win both their quarter and semi-final ties, launched a typical late comeback.
Two Conor McHugh scores and a goal from former Clare attacker Keelan Sexton, who rifled home after his stoppage time penalty was initially saved, still weren't enough though.
"I haven't picked up a brand new team here," said O'Reilly. "It's been coming right the way through from Andy's (McEntee) time, into Anthony's (Rainbow) time and Kenny's (Naughton) time. These guys were all coming through over those times and then you add in the serious work that was done at underage. Quite a few guys won for the first time tonight which is brilliant to see."
Already 'Boden are fancied to go all the way in Leinster and to push hard for a second All-Ireland club title. They will travel to face the Wexford representatives - Kilanerin, Shelmaliers, Castletown or Gusserane - on November 16 in a provincial club quarter-final.
"It's literally about Wexford Park now," insisted O'Reilly. "It's not about anything else. We'll get a good look at them tomorrow, the two semi-finals are on and we'll be watching those. Then obviously the Wexford final will be two weeks later so we'll go down and watch that. We'll get two good looks at the opposition."
Dublin senior McHugh will return to Parnell Park next Saturday evening with the Na Fianna hurlers for their county final against Lucan Sarsfields.
The county, Leinster and All-Ireland title holders will be favourites to overcome Charlie Carter's Lucan though the Glasnevin club's bid for a SFC and SHC double in the capital is over.
The footballers only got it going briefly in Saturday's final, reeling off six points in a row midway through the first-half to lead by 0-7 to 0-3.
'Boden were back level by half-time and capitalised on the wind advantage after the break to dominate the second-half.
Dublin's Eoin Murchan overcame an injury concern to start for Na Fianna but 2024 Clare SFC finalist Sexton was only fit enough for a bench impact, robbing manager Tom Gray of a key forward who struck 1-4 in the quarter-final against Ballymun and played for Clare this year.
O'Reilly pointed to the array of top inter-county players involved and claimed the Dublin SFC is 'the top championship in the country'.
"You're not going to walk a Dublin championship, ever," he said. "It's about working out the problems and how you're going to get on top of these teams. It was a different set of problems that were posed for us (by Na Fianna) but our leaders stood up, right the way across the team."
: D Sweeney 0-8 (7 frees); C D'Arcy 1-0; P Healy (tp), C Basquel, R O'Dwyer 0-2 each; A Gavin, J Holland 0-1 each.
C McHugh 0-5 (2 frees); B O'Leary 0-4 (3 frees); K Sexton 1-0; J Doran 0-2; C Reddin 0-1.
: H O'Sullivan; B Bobbett, S Clayton, C Flaherty; A Gavin, P Healy, P Warren; C D'Arcy, J Holland; J McGuire, R O'Dwyer, J Madden; R McGarry, C Basquel, D Sweeney.
Subs: R Baines for Clayton (3); C O'Dwyer for McGuire (45); K Kennedy for Warren (51); H Donaghy for Healy (58); D O'Reilly for Madden (60).
D O'Hanlon; F Potts, A Rafter, J Cooper; N McGovern, E Murchan, O Donohoe; J Doran, K Deeley; C Early, B O'Leary, D Quinn; C McHugh, C Reddin, S Caffrey.
Subs: V Flynn for Deeley (34); K Sexton for Caffrey (46); D Kennedy for McGovern (49); D Clerkin for Quinn (51); D Lacey for Reddin (56).
: D Delaney (Wanderers).
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