Athy's dream dies at the hands of slick Ballyboden outfit
Athy captain David Hyland dejected after the final whistle Photo: ©INPHO/James Lawlor
A powerful Ballyboden St Enda’s side brought Athy’s wonderful championship odyssey to an end in the AIB Leinster Senior Club Football Championship Final at Croke Park on Saturday evening.
Dublin teams have now won this competition for six years in a row and from the moment Ryan Basquel’s 26th minute goal went in, first time finalists Athy were on borrowed time.
Athy had recovered from a nervy start, conceding the game’s first four points, to lead briefly midway through the half but thanks to a Ryan Basquel goal on 26 minutes they trailed by three at the interval (1-7 to 0-7).
That represented a reasonable return from a first half in which the South Kildare side struggled to find the form that had taken them through their county and provincial journey to date. They found themselves turned over far too often down the Hill 16 end in that opening half, their inside forwards often looking isolated, despite a decent return off their own kick out.
Despite all that they’ll have felt they were well in it at the interval but sadly Conor Ronan and Ross Bell’s side failed to raise a gallop in the third quarter as the South Dublin powerhouse quickly put the game to bed on the way to their third provincial title.
They outscored Athy by 1-9 to 0-1 in the first twenty minutes of the second half, the second goal finished by Patrick Dunleavy essentially ending the game as a contest on 44 minutes, before a late rally prompted by a goal from substitute Ben Purcell closed the gap to seven points.
Athy suffered a blow when forced to field without James McGrath, who was heavily strapped and failed to pass a late fitness test, and they found themselves outmuscled somewhat early on as Ballyboden raced into that four-point lead within eight minutes.
Colm Basquel opened the scoring within the first minute, with Ryan O’Dwyer and Daire Sweeney (free) adding to that before midfielder Cein Darcy stroked over a lovely point from just inside the arc.
Athy, though, started to gain their fair share of possession at midfield and they dominated the next fifteen minutes. The Kelly brothers Barry and Niall had missed ambitious two-point attempts, given the swirling wind, and Kevin Feely dropped a free short, so they were grateful for Seán Moore getting them off the mark with a driven long range free on 12 minutes.
Niall Kelly fell foul of Hawkeye but referee Alan Coyne was playing advantage and Feely fired over the resultant free to halve the gap before the same player landed a wonderful two-pointer from over the Cusack Stand side.
The clenched fist signalled Athy were up and running and Niall Kelly’s free on 22 minutes saw them go ahead.
But from there to half-time the Dublin side regained their equilibrium. Ross McGarry equalised immediately, and Darren Lawler was unlucky to concede a free which Sweeney converted.
Athy were then caught cold when a long ball over the head of Lawler reached the unmarked Ryan Basquel. His low shot seemed to have been saved by goalkeeper James Roycroft, but it had enough momentum to trickle across the unguarded line to put the Dublin champions 1-6 to 0-6 ahead.
McGarry and Colm Moran exchanged points before the interval, but Athy were grateful to Roycroft who got down low to save from Colm Basquel in first half injury time, leaving the margin at three points.
Athy needed to up the ante on the restart but instead it was Ballyboden who turned the screw. O’Dwyer, Sweeney and corner back Peter Healy skipped through for points to stretch the gap to six before Athy’s best player Feely swung over a point from close range after good work from Mark Hyland and Ronan Kelly.
That was only a temporary respite though as livewire corner forward McGarry pointed, and Colm Basquel landed a superb two-pointer to leave Athy now eight points behind.
Any hope for the Kildare champions was extinguished when a piercing move saw Darcy and McGarry open up their defence for Dunleavy to palm home at the far post on 44 minutes.
It threatened to get really ugly as Daire Sweeney (free), Colm Basquel and McGarry pointed to stretch the lead to fourteen as we entered the last ten minutes.
Thankfully, Athy, hard-working as always, lifted themselves off the floor, and perhaps their opponents took the foot of the gas a little. Either way, Feely almost goaled with a deft shot that bounced off the upright before being called back to take, and score, a mark.
Then, Dunleavy’s miscued sideline was gobbled up by Ronan Kelly, who escaped his marker and set up Purcell for a well-taken goal with seven minutes remaining. Moore’s point attempt then crept inside the post before Feely was fouled inside for a free that he converted to narrow the gap to eight.
McGarry and Darcy responded for Ballyboden but Moore with a two-point free and Feely, also from a free, brought the gap down to seven. A fair reflection of the gulf between the two sides on a disappointing day in what has been a year to remember for the club.
Hugh O’Sullivan; Brian Bobbett, Cathal Flaherty, Peter Healy 0-1; Ryan Baines, Alex Gavin, Patrick Warren; Cein Darcy 0-2, James Holland; Patrick Dunleavy 1-0, Colm Basquel 0-4 (1tp), Ryan Basquel 1-0; Ross McGarry 0-5, Ryan O’Dwyer 0-2, Daire Sweeney 0-4 (3fs). Subs: Callum O’Dwyer for R Basquel 46, Harry Donaghy for Warren 49, Shane Clayton for Baynes 53, Kieran Kennedy for C Basquel 59, Darren O’Reilly for O’Dwyer 60.
James Roycroft; Padraic Spillane, Michael Spillane, Darren Lawler; Seán Moore 0-4 (1tpf,1f), Cathal McCarron, Mark Hyland; Kevin Feely 0-7 (1tp,3fs,1m), David Hyland; Brian Maher, Barry Kelly, Conor Doyle; Ronan Kelly 0-1, Colm Moran 0-1, Niall Kelly 0-1 (f). Subs: Ben Purcell 1-0 for Moran 41, Seán Bride for M Hyland 46, Conor Kelly for B Kelly 47, Cian Keaveney for Maher 53, Kieran Farrell for Doyle 57.
Alan Coyne (Westmeath).
