AIB Leinster Club SFC: Ballyboden through to the semi-finals

​AIB Leinster club senior football championship quarter-final

BALLYBODEN ST ENDA'S (DUBLIN) 2-16 CASTLETOWN (WEXFORD) 0-13

By Paul Keane at Chadwicks Wexford Park

With a half of football played and the two teams tied, it looked like we could be in for an interesting afternoon in the southeast.

Ballyboden St Enda's, twice winners of the AIB Leinster club SFC, and All-Ireland champions in 2016, were significant favourites but had yet to establish their authority.

It turned out they were just getting going and when they opened up with their best football in the second-half, albeit a wind assisted second-half, they careered to a comfortable quarter-final win.

County men Colm Basquel, Ross McGarry and Alex Gavin all delivered in spades for the Dublin champions with Basquel contributing 1-4, McGarry five points from play and Gavin the game-clinching 42nd minute goal.

Galway's Cein D'Arcy was influential at midfield too while Eamon O'Reilly's defence only coughed up five points from open play, Castletown's other eight points coming from four two-point frees that goalkeeper Darragh Brooks converted.

Ballyboden's reward for the patient performance and nine-point win is a November 29 semi-final against Tullamore, another road trip for the Firhouse Road faithful.

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 made life difficult for the raging favourites for a period of time, quickly establishing their defensive shape and forcing Ballyboden into long stretches of keep ball just outside the arc in the opening half.

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.

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 McGarry clipping three first-half points, Ballyboden couldn't shake off a Castletown side that lived, and profited, on scraps.

Goalkeeper Brooks drilled three two-point frees in the opening half, helping the hosts to hit the interval deadlocked on 1-4 to 0-7.

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.

Ballyboden St Enda's scorers: 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.

Castletown scorers: Darragh Brooks 0-8 (4 tpf), Liam Coleman 0-2, Robbie Brooks 0-1, Donnacha Holmes 0-1, Brendan Halpin 0-1.

Ballyboden St Enda's: 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.

Subs: 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.

Castletown: 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.

Subs: Gavin McNulty for Kelly 52, Doran Daly O'Toole for Holmes 52, Joe Gardiner for Heffernan 57.

Referee: Kevin Williamson (Offaly).