Dublin SHC Final

Na Fianna 2-19 Ballyboden St Enda's 0-9

By Paul Keane at Parnell Park

Na Fianna's long and at times cruel wait for a Dublin SHC title success is finally over and they broke their duck with surprising ease.

Inspired by the Currie brothers, Sean and Colin, who blasted 2-15 between them, the Mobhi Road side managed by Niall O Ceallachain streaked to a 16-point county final victory.

Na Fianna coughed up second-half leads in each of the last two finals against Kilmacud Crokes to slip to agonising defeats and must have wondered if they'd ever get across the line.

But they had this one wrapped up long before full-time with 10 points between the teams at half-time.

Na Fianna finished with an extra man too though Timmy Hammersley's dismissal for 'Boden just four minutes after coming on in the final quarter of the game hardly mattered in the overall scheme of things.

It will go down as a day to forget for seven-time Dublin champions 'Boden who were powerless to prevent Dublin duo Sean and Colin Currie grabbing the crucial scores.

Sean slammed both of his goals in the first-half and finished with 2-5 while Colin grabbed 0-10.

Aside from finally ending their long wait for county honours, Na Fianna's reward is a Leinster club quarter-final clash with Westmeath champions Raharney on November 12, in Mullingar.

A rampant Na Fianna hit the interval with a massive 2-10 to 0-6 advantage and while that looked a near unassailable lead, their supporters didn't dare count their chickens.

They were eight points clear midway through the first-half of their semi-final win over Lucan Sarsfields and saw that lead reduced to just two at one stage in the second-half.

They also enjoyed big leads in both the 2021 and 2022 finals against Kilmacud Crokes only to walk away empty handed and heartbroken on both of those occasions.

It was particularly galling for the north Dublin side two years ago as they were nine points up on Crokes in that 2021 decider with just eight minutes of normal time remaining.

Crokes ended up taking that game to extra-time and eventually winning while Na Fianna blew a four-point second-half lead in last year's decider.

Na Fianna avenged those losses somewhat with a two-point quarter-final win over Crokes this season before hanging tough to take down Lucan.

As for Ballyboden, they knocked out Cuala in the quarter-finals before overcoming St Vincent's after extra-time in the last four.

This was the teams' fourth meeting of the season with 'Boden beating Na Fianna in July's Division 1 league final only to come up short when they met again in the group stage of the championship.

Na Fianna hit the ground running this time with the Curries blasting 2-9 of that 2-10 first-half tally.

Sean netted in the 21st and 26th minutes and finished the half with a terrific 2-3, all from open play.

He did brilliant for his first goal, beating 'Boden defender Stephen O'Connor to a 50-50 ball in the air before cracking the sliotar beyond goalkeeper Conor O'Donoghue.

Five minutes later, AJ Murphy lobbed in a clever pass which was intended for Shane Barrett and when the ball broke kindly to the right Currie pulled first time with a vicious shot that rattled the net.

Sibling Colin, the free-taker, registered six first-half points and also had an 18th minute penalty, following James Madden's foul on Murphy, saved by O'Donoghue.

Poor 'Boden only managed two first-half points from play, scored by Luke McDwyer and Kevin Desmond.

Ballyboden needed a strong second-half showing to turn things around but things actually got worse as they only added three more points. As for Na Fianna, the Curries continued to snipe the one-pointers, extending their lead to a massive 16 points by full-time.

Substitutes Sean Baxter and Gavin King also got on the scoresheet and Ciaran Stacey closed out the scoring for the victorious side.

Scorers for Na Fianna: Colin Currie 0-10 (0-7f, 0-1 65), Sean Currie 2-5, AJ Murphy 0-1, Sean Baxter 0-1, Gavin King 0-1, Ciaran Stacey 0-1.

Scorers for Ballyboden St Enda's: Paul Ryan 0-4 (0-4f), Kevin Desmond 0-1, Luke McDwyer 0-1, Aidan Mellett 0-1, Niall Ryan 0-1, Jack Lambert 0-1

Na Fianna: Jonathan Treacy; Kevin Burke, Conor McHugh, Sean Burke; Diarmuid Clerkin, Liam Rushe, Paul O'Dea; Brian Ryan, Peter Feeney; John Tierney, Sean Currie, Colin Currie; Ciaran Stacey, AJ Murphy, Shane Barrett.

Subs: Micheal Murphy for Barrett 33, Sean Baxter for Murphy 44, Gavin King for Tierney 51, Donal Ryan for McHugh 58, Martin Quilty for B Ryan 60.

Ballyboden St Enda's: Conor O'Donoghue; Sean McDonnell, James Madden, Luke Corcoran; Jack Lambert, Simon Lambert, Stephen O'Connor; Niall Ryan, Aidan Mellett; Luke McDwyer, Conor Dooley, Shane Durkin; Kevin Desmond, Paul Ryan, Niall McMorrow.

Subs: Pearce Christie for Desmond 27, Conal Keaney for Dooley 40, Timmy Hammersley for P Ryan 47, Eoin Behan for Durkin 47, Darragh Kenny for N Ryan 58.

Referee: Chris Mooney (St Pat's).