Ballyboden overcome Castletown to book place Leinster SFC semi-final
LEINSTER SFC: Ballyboden St Enda's Ross McGarry and Killian Pierce of Castletown-Liam Mellows. Picture: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
The sense of inevitability about this Leinster club SFC quarter-final was strong; hosts Castletown playing with the wind and hanging in there until half-time, Ballyboden then applying the gas and speeding comfortably clear.
Ultimately the Dublin champions, winners of this competition in 2015 and 2019, streaked to a deserved nine-point win, securing a semi-final place against Tullamore of Offaly on November 29.
All of 'Boden's big guns fired for them at Wexford Park with Dublin trio Colm Basquel, Ross McGarry and Alex Gavin accounting for 2-9 of the team's tally.
Galway senior Cein D'Arcy came into the game strongly at midfield too while their defence held back-to-back Wexford champions Castletown to just five points from open play.
No Wexford club has ever played in a final at this level and Ballyboden ensured that it stayed that way, outscoring the hosts by 1-12 to 0-6 in the second-half.
A week after the Wexford hurling champions, St Martin's, took care of reigning Dublin, Leinster and All-Ireland champions Na Fianna, Castletown plotted a similar coup on the same pitch.
And they did make life difficult for the raging favourites initially at least, establishing a defensive shape and forcing Ballyboden into long stretches of keep ball just outside the arc.
The terms of engagement were set early with Ballyboden holding possession for almost the first three minutes after the throw-in before eventually working an opening that ended in a wide.
Daire Sweeney fisted wide on that occasion and having filled his boots in Dublin - hitting 2-24 in the knock-out stages of the county championship alone - it was clear he'd have to be patient and bide his time here.
Basquel wore number 11 for 'Boden and flitted between the half and full-forward lines, tracked by Joe Ahern all the time.
Former All-Star Basquel won an 11th minute free that Sweeney converted before sniping a terrific breakaway goal in the 22nd minute.
Castletown's Liam Coleman spilled possession at midfield and when Antrim man Peter Healy gathered up the loose ball, it began a rapid counter-attack that ended with Basquel's goal.
That tied the game up at 1-2 to 0-5 but even with Ross McGarry clipping three first-half points, Ballyboden couldn't shake off a Castletown side that lived, and profited, on scraps.
Goalkeeper Darragh Brooks drilled three two-point frees in the opening half, helping the hosts to hit the interval locked on 0-7 points apiece.
Still, Ballyboden had the wind after the break and the presumption was that they would kick on and belatedly impose themselves.
They did precisely that, dominating the third quarter to leave themselves in a commanding position with 15 minute to go.
The second-half was only four minutes old and already 'Boden had as many points tallied; one each from McGarry and Ryan O'Dwyer and a Basquel two-pointer.
Former Dublin forward Ryan Basquel, Colm's big brother, got in on the action with two points before the team's second goal arrived in the 42nd minute.
O'Dwyer and Patrick Dunleavy combined, working the ball into the goalmouth for Gavin to palm in from close range.
Castletown mustered a couple of scores in response and both Robbie Brooks and Coleman punched the air in celebration each time.
But not even Darragh Brooks' fourth two-pointer of the game, from another free, gave them any great traction.
: Colm Basquel 1-4 (1 tp), Ross McGarry 0-5, Alex Gavin 1-0, Daire Sweeney 0-3 (0-1f), Ryan Basquel 0-2, Ryan O'Dwyer 0-1, Callum O'Dwyer 0-1.
: Darragh Brooks 0-8 (4 tpf), Liam Coleman 0-2, Robbie Brooks 0-1, Donnacha Holmes 0-1, Brendan Halpin 0-1.
: Hugh O'Sullivan; Ryan Baynes, Cathal Flaherty, Brian Bobbett; James Holland, Patrick Warren, Peter Healy; Cein D'Arcy, Alex Gavin; Ryan O'Dwyer, Colm Basquel, Patrick Dunleavy; Ross McGarry, Ryan Basquel, Daire Sweeney.
: Kieran Kennedy for Healy 51, Darren O'Reilly for Ryan Basquel 51, Callum O'Dwyer for Sweeney 56, David Keogh for Colm Basquel 58, Michael O'Gara for O'Dwyer 58.
: Darragh Brooks; Sean O'Hagan, Joe Ahern, Ross Cody; Killian Pierce, Stephen Moloney, Jack Higgins; Rory Heffernan, Liam Coleman; Gavin Kelly, Conor Carty, Donnacha Holmes; Robbie Brooks, Jonathan Bealin, Brendan Halpin.
: Gavin McNulty for Kelly 52, Doran Daly O'Toole for Holmes 52, Joe Gardiner for Heffernan 57.
Kevin Williamson (Offaly).
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