UPCOMING FIXTURES

Big week ahead with double header AFL games for the Seniors and Inters. The Seniors are at home in PUM on Wednesday against St.Sylvesters and then away to St.OP/ER on Saturday. The Inters, badly needing a league win to turn their season around, travel to Clontarf to face Scoil Ui Chonaill on Wednesday and take on Brigids in Sancta Maria on Saturday. The Junior B’s have a big Championship game V Raheny on Thursday and are out again on Sunday V Erins Isle on Sunday. Junior A’s face Thomas Davis in Oldcourt on Sunday at 11.00am. No games for the Minor teams this weekend. Full fixture details below.

Congratulations to our Intermediate team as they beat St.Vincents in a pulsating Loving Cup semi-final last Wednesday on a scoreline of 1-19 to 0-17, none of your 0-0 after extra time going to penalties sort of thing here! Commiserations to our Junior A team who lost out to Na Fianna in the final of the Conlon Cup last Tuesday by 1-12 to 1-09, a few missed chances in the first half proved to be costly in the end. The Minor C’s had two matches over the past week and first up was an emphatic victory last Wednesday over St.Olafs by 3-14 to 1-08 but unfortunately on Sunday they went down to Kilmacud Crokes by 6-12 to 2-09.

The Junior B’s had a great win over local rivals St.Annes last Tuesday continuing their fine league form. See report below.

Junior B AFL Div.9

BBSE 5-17 v 2-03 St.Annes

Ballyboden St. Endas had a resounding result in an intriguing clash with local rivals St. Annes in the Junior 9 league in Pairc Ui Murchu on Tuesday night. With the home side looking for a win before the next round of the Championship they got off to a storming start with a well taken goal from Dara Langan. The ball was again moved quickly out of the Boden back line and Ronan O’Reilly and Stephen McDonald added to the score-line with well taken points apiece. With Keith O’Donnell and Harry Coffey putting in an industrious display in midfield, Boden were on the attack again with a well taken point from Tommy Connors. St. Annes had the great Joe McNally in their starting line and boden were in for a nervy afternoon. Annes played some fine flowing football of their own with great displays from Johnathan Flood and Nipper McNally responding with two well taken points of their own.

Boden used the pace of Kieran Murphy and James McTiernan with great effect and were on the attack again with some excellent passing leading to more scores from Connors, Lanagan, and O’Reilly. St. Annes came up against a well organized defense led by Dean O’Donnell and ably assisted by Ross Traynor and Michael Dunne. Half back Ross McGuire got on the scoring sheet with a well timed run from defense to split the posts. Dara Shovlin was at his best for Boden and was only denied goal opportunities by some fine saves from the St. Annes keeper.

Bodens strength in depth showed with the introduction of David O’Donnell, Mick O’Dwyer, Brian Fitzsimons and Liam McNamara. With Ger Flaherty’s well worked kick outs, Boden added to the score-line with well taken points from David O’Donnell, Tommy Connors, Ronan O’Reilly and Dara Langan yet again. St. Annes responded with some fine attacking play of their own and Boden gave away a soft penalty which was put over for a point by Peter Brennan. The wily Cecil Jolley was in great form for Annes and showed his experience by delaying Boden a goal scoring opportunity. Joe Mcnally well marshaled by Donal Sheahan, Boden ran out eventual winners with a score-line of 5-17 to 2-3.

The management team of John White, Paddy Carr, Fergal O’Neill, and Martin O’Donnell now look forward to preparing a fine Ballyboden St. Endas team for the next round of the Championship versus Rehany at home on the 10th July.

Mid Season Reports:

Over the coming weeks we will try to bring you a brief mid season report from each of our Adult football teams, their efforts to date and plans (and hopes) for the rest of the year.

Minor A team.

Minor A league has finished – with eight in the group we had just seven competitive matches over a six month period. Luckily enough our players are getting games at the adult level to keep them interested also we have mostly dual players so most players had also seven hurling matches and a hurling blitz in Kilkenny last weekend. With the leaving cert over we are now preparing for the championship which kicks off in September. We have a continuous fitness program designed for both minor footballers and hurlers which includes precise and supervised GYM work as part of the Football sections on-going NADA program and great field work being done by Ferghal Brennan Dave Sweeney and Ciaran Doyle the players and club are very grateful to these young men for their dedication to the teams.

Come September/October hopefully we will see the fruits of all the hard work from the players and coaches when we will battle our way to a successful Championship.

Best of luck to our four county minors Barra, Shane, Colm and Warren who take on the great Offaly Minors this Thursday in Tullamore 7.30pm and to Rian Cannon on the Dublin hurling team.

Liam Deane – Manager

Junior B team.

The Junior B’s are well positioned to having a successful season. The league campaign has been solid to date with Boden currently lying in the play off places for promotion and have recorded some big wins racking up large scores. The team is currently in the last 16 of the championship with two tough wins so far including a one point win over Wanderers and probably the performance of the season away to Geraldine Morans in the second round which was won on the road in extra time. Training numbers have been solid and match day squads regularly feature well over twenty players which is adding to competition for places and creating a healthy team atmosphere.

John White – Manager